BS 1194 
.H35 
v. 1 
pt. 1 
Copy 1 




Outline Studies 
on The Bible 

Old Testament 
By REV, CONRAD A. HAUSER 



The Advanced Heidelberg 
Teacher Training Course 




Class 




4 


Book 


, H A 




fifflyifohtF 


COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



Outline Studies 

on The Bible 

Part I. The Old Testament 

By 

Rev. Conrad A. Hauser 

Educational Superintendent, Publication and Sunday School 
Board of the Reformed Church in the United States 



Vol. I. Advanced Heidelberg Teacher 
Training Course 



The Heidelberg Press 
Fifteenth and Race Streets, Philadelphia, Pa. 






Copyright, 1914 

BY 

The Heidelberg Press 



APR -6 1914 



PREFACE 

The Advanced Heidelberg Teacher Training Course appears in 
print in response to a distinct need. The Sunday Schools through- 
out the land are convinced that success depends almost entirely upon 
the character of their teaching force. Therefore, they have hailed 
the teacher training class with enthusiasm, and now look with just 
pride to hundreds of thousands of graduates from these classes, 
and to the large number who have secured the diploma through cor- 
respondence courses. 

The knowledge and inspiration derived from the preliminary 
course has created an earnest desire, on the part of many of these 
graduates, to continue their studies with a view to still greater 
efficiency. To meet this demand this Advanced Course appears in 
print. 
" It is well known that the Teacher Training Department of the 
Sunday School, pursuing its work during the Sunday School ses- 
sion, in the same manner as the Adult Bible Class, is rapidly sup- 
planting the narrower idea of the teacher training class. The Ad- 
vanced Heidelberg Teachers' Training Course also seeks to provide 
a suitable curriculum for this department. 

The First Standard Text-book, "Preparation for Teaching" — by 
Rev. C. A. Oliver — has been recommended by the Publication and 
Sunday School Board of the Reformed Church as its official pre- 
liminary course. The three volumes of the Advanced Heidelberg 
Teacher Training Course (covering at least two years of work, 
preferably three), together with the above-named book, thus furnish 
a complete course of study on the topics necessary to be mastered 
by the well-qualified teacher. 

The Graded Lessons have introduced a serious problem into the 
Sunday School Teachers' Meeting. Constantly the call comes for a 
suitable course of study, which will safeguard the former unity of 
this meeting. The Advanced Heidelberg Teacher Training Course 
appears as a probable solution of the difficulty. It is suggested that 
the entire teaching force pursue the Course unitedly during a part 
of the session, then breaking up into grade sections for the study of 
the several lessons for the coming Sunday. 



iv Preface 

Formerly the officers of the Sunday Schools avoided the Teachers' 
Meeting on the ground that since they did not teach it was not 
necessary to attend. This course of study should help to correct 
this error and to attract these workers, since there is much in the 
course that bears directly upon their work. 

Fortunately, the untrained teacher is no longer a necessity. 
Prompted by the ideal that in the future every teacher shall be a 
trained teacher, and in the hope and prayer that this day may 
speedily appear, this Course is planned and presented to the Sunday 
School public. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Lesson page 

I. What a Teacher Should Know About the Newer Views 

on the Old Testament 1 

II. The Old Testament World 7 

III. In The Beginning 15 

IV. Between the Lines of Genesis 23 

V. The Patriarchal Age 28 

VI. The Work of Moses '. 33 

VII. The Literary Activity of Moses 38 

VIII. The History of the Hebrew Religion 45 

IX. The Conquest and the Judges 51 

X. The Period of the Judges (Continued) 57 

XI. The United Kingdom 62 

XII. The Divided Kingdom 67 

XIII. The Divided Kingdom (Continued) 71 

XIV. The Captivity 76 

XV. The Return from Captivity 83 

XVI. Early Prophecy 88 

XVII. Later Prophecy 93 

XVIII. The Priesthood — History and Organization 98 

XIX. The Priesthood — Significance and Function 103 

XX. The Closing Centuries of Old Testament Times 108 



APPENDIX. 



I. Down the Centuries with Israel's Neighbors 117 

II. The Canon of the Old Testament 121 

III. The Old Testament as Literature 126 

IV. How to Study an Old Testament Book 132 



DIAGRAMS ILLUSTRATING THE LESSONS* 



Lesson page 

I. The Sunday School Teacher's Old Testament Library. 6 

{Physical Map of Palestine 9 
Political Map of Palestine 11 
Map of the Old Testament World 14 

III. The Babylonian Stories of Creation and the Flood. . .20-22 

IV. The Code of Moses and Hammurabi Compared 27 

V. Important Events in the Lives of the Patriarchs 32 

VI. Map of the Wilderness Journey 37 

VII. The Two Views of the Origin of the Pentateuch 44 

VIII. The History of Divine Revelation 50 

IX. The Tribal Map 56 

X. The Judges and Their Deliverances 61 

XL The Kings of the United Kingdom 66 

XII. The Kings of the Divided Kingdom — Chronologically 

arranged 70 

XIII. The Kings of the Divided Kingdom — according to 

Dynasties 75 

XIV. Testimony from the Monuments during the time of 

the Captivity 80-82 

XV. The Books of the Old Testament. The Order in the 

Hebrew and English Bibles Compared 87 

XVI. Some Early Prophets 92 

XVII. Messages of the Later Prophets 97 

XVIII. The Prophets and Kings — Chronologically Arranged.. 102 

XIX. Cut of Herod's Temple 107 

XX. Chronological Table. Principal Events in Hebrew 

History 114 

* These diagrams give additional information and should be 
read carefully and used for reference. 



INTRODUCTION 

Every intelligent Christian, especially the Sunday School teacher, 
needs to have a comprehensive knowledge of the Old Testament. 
It should include an outline of the history and the fundamental 
teachings of the several books. The problems relating to the 
text of the Old Testament books, writers, dates and purposes 
of the writers deserve consideration. 

Here is presented a conservative yet constructive study. The 
best of the old and of the modern points of view are given. 
The Old Testament is viewed in its origin, not from a thor- 
oughly naturalistic conception, but from that view which is 
found in the Scriptures themselves. 

The human element is not ignored, but stress is laid upon 
the divine element. Christ and the Old Testament are united 
through the testimony of the latter by way of the preparation 
for His coming and through the word of Christ, Himself, as to 
the truth of the Old Testament. 

The book is intended primarily for Sunday School teachers, Adult 
Classes and students in institutions of learning. It is written, there- 
fore, not from the point of view of the theologian or scholar study- 
ing critical questions, but to meet the needs of the busy man or 
woman who desires to have a practical knowledge of the Old 
Testament and its problems. 

The author of "Outline Studies on the Bible, Old Testament" 
is singularly fitted, by reason of his German ancestry, his prac- 
tical experience in the pastorate, and his educational contact 
with ministers and Sunday School teachers, to furnish a volume 
scholarly, yet practical and popular in its treatment. 

May this book do its humble part in confirming the faith of 
Christian workers in those ancient books which foretold and 
prepared for the coming of the Saviour, who gave His precious 
blood for us; may it help to make them "workmen that need 
not be ashamed, holding a straight course in the word of truth." 

RUFUS W. MILLER, 

Secretary. 



LESSON I 

WHAT A TEACHER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE 
NEWER VIEWS ON THE OLD TESTAMENT 

Our Views Changed. Every thoughtful Christian knows that 
a great change has come in the way the present generation thinks 
about the Bible. Our views differ somewhat from those of our 
fathers and mothers, especially as to the Old Testament- 

The Changed Views Widespread. There is no pulpit which 
does not treat the theme from one point of view or another. In 
every newspaper and magazine this subject is discussed. In office, 
factory, drawing room, in the schools, the home and on the street 
it is a leading topic of conversation. 

A Period of Questioning. Although the theme is so generally 
discussed, there are few subjects about which there is so much 
vagueness. What is this new view of the Bible? What does all 
this talk about the "Higher Criticism" mean? Many good people 
are in perplexity. Others are wavering in their faith. Still others 
have lost their faith for lack of the proper word of instruction. 

Why the Prolonged Silence? Because of the unsettled condi- 
tion of the subject and for fear of awakening doubt, where it did 
not exist before, the Church has largely pursued the policy of 
silence. In view, however, of the fact that the discussion has be- 
come so general, the time seems to have come to turn on the light 
and to break the silence. Besides, present-day study of the Old 
Testament is impossible otherwise. 

The Teacher Should Be a Safe Guide. In view of these facts 
the teacher of adults especially should have an intelligent under- 
standing of this serious subject. He should have a positive message, 
based on the facts to offset the doubts which are bound to arise 
and which ought to be cleared up. 

The Former Popular View of the Bible. Until recenily it was 
quite generally believed that the Bible was of purely divine origin, 
and that the authors were only the passive instruments through 
whom the Holy Spirit wrote. In short, that this Holy Book was 
divinely inspired, even to the very letter. The possibility of the 
use of existing records, was not as much as thought of. 



2 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

The Newer View assumes that in addition to the divine ele- 
ment, there is also a human element in the Bible. Here, as every- 
where in God's dealings with men, He lovingly provided for co- 
operation. We now believe ,that God, in calling the Bible into 
being, took men's incomplete knowledge and brought to bear upon 
it, His perfect wisdom. So that in the inspiration of the Bible we 
have the blending of the Divine Spirit and human factors. 

In giving us the Bible God chose, in some parts of it, to reveal 
Himself directly. In other cases He took what there was good in 
man's mind, already expressed in story and book, and added to it 
what man could never have discovered of himself. Thus by this 
divine touch and influence the product of man's mind was made 
divine and the Bible became the Word of God, the Book of Books. 
This view attributes everything in the Bible that is not in harmony 
with God's perfection to man's imperfection. It at once disarms 
the unbeliever and strengthens the believer in his faith, since it 
magnifies God. 

Why the Change of View? In the past century the ancient 
world, in which Israel lived, has practically been dug up out of its 
burial place, where it lay for centuries, even before Christ's time. 
Through these excavations in Babylon, Egypt and Palestine, we 
have learned many things about the Bible which it was impossible 
for past centuries to know. In the light of this new information, 
the Bible has been restudied with the result that we now see that 
God has honored man much more in the making of the Bible 
than we formerly thought. God, according to the newer view, 
remains the author of the Bible as much, if not in a truer and 
nobler sense than before. 

Bible References to Sources. The Bible itself refers the reader 
to certain existing documents which contain data similar to its own. 
Thus, we read of The Book of the Wars of Jehovah, Numbers 21 : 
14; The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel, I Kings 14:19; The 
Chronicles of the Kings of Judah, I Kings 14:29; The Book of 
Jasher, II Samuel 1:18, Joshua 10:13; The Book of Nathan the 
Prophet, The Book of Gad the Seer, I Chron. 29:29, and in Luke 
1 : 1-4 we read of similar New Testament documents. 

These books were not included among those now found in our 
Bible, but the Scriptures suggest that some of their material was 
honored of God in giving to us His Word. 

The New Facts Differently Interpreted. This new knowledge 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 3 

naturally has led to widely different opinions as to the Bible. It 
has given rise to what is commonly known as Biblical Criticism. 
While it is impossible to ignore this method of studying the 
Bible, we must aim to distinguish clearly, between what is true and 
what is false therein. If this is done, the result will not be a loss 
of faith in the Bible, but a stronger faith because it will be a more 
intelligent faith. Honest criticism cannot hurt the Bible. Because 
men have failed to make this distinction, some have been spiritually 
blinded by the new light. 

Old Testament Biblical Criticism, as we saw above, is the 
name given to this modern method of Bible study. The subject 
falls under two heads — first, Lower Criticism, and second, Higher 
Criticism. 

1. Lower Criticism, also called Textual Criticism. As the name 
implies, this study of the Old Testament deals only with the text, 
in distinction from Higher Criticism, which also concerns itself with 
the facts or contents of the Old Testament. 

Before the days of printing, Bibles were copied by hand. This 
naturally gave opportunity for errors to creep into the text. By 
comparing the many ancient manuscripts which have been found 
from time to time, scholars have been able to discover and remove 
most of these errors. The new translation, known as the Revised 
Version of the Bible, is a result of such work. 

2. Higher Criticism deals with the authorship, date and contents 
of the books themselves. Against such study of the Bible many 
Christians object, but we need have no fear for the Bible. The 
truth will stand. In a sense, the Bible too, is literature, and hence 
it must be able to stand any fair test brought to bear upon it. For 
centuries it has withstood every attack, and what Jesus said will 
forever be true: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words 
shall not pass away." Mtt. 24:35. 

Two Kinds of Modern Bible Students. We may divide mod- 
ern Bible students, broadly speaking, into two classes, called "des- 
tructive critics" and "constructive critics" ("constructive students 
of the Bible" is a better term). 

1. The "destructive critic" says the Bible, like any other book, is 
the product solely of the human mind. Thereby God's influence in 
the construction of the Bible, in a direct way, is ruled out altogether, 
and the Bible, as a book having divine authority, falls. 

2. The "constructive critic" recognizes, as we saw above, the hu- 



4 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

man element in the Bible, but thereby sees God's authorship more 
wonderfully established. The Bible is still God's word; the only 
change is the method pursued by His over-ruling providence in 
giving it to mankind. These students, although they differ widely 
in their views, seek by all their study and work to magnify God 
as the author and the Bible as His Word. 
The Proper Attitude of the Teacher Toward the New View.* 

a. Avoid an extreme position. Two mistakes must be guarded 
against: First, being misdirected by pious zeal, to shut our minds 
absolutely against the newer view, and to ignore the facts; second, 
in our false enthusiasm for the new view, to accept, as true and 
final, every new theory that is proposed. Here, more than ever, 
wisdom dictates the middle path. 

b. Be fair and open-minded. Remember that there is scarcely 
an Old Testament scholar of any prominence today who does not 
accept the newer view of the Bible in some such way as presented 
above. The learning of these men and their sincerity, if they claim 
to be constructive students of the Bible, every fair and open-minded 
person must respect. 

To say that, is one thing, but to accept all of their views is an 
entirely different thing. For these scholars not only differ very 
greatly among themselves, but many of their claims have been set 
aside by further study and discovery. This is true, not only here, 
but in all branches of study. To err is human. These facts make 
the study of the Old Testament so perplexing to the inexperienced 
student. 

c. Reserve the right of private judgment. Every student has this 
right, but only to the extent that he studies to know the facts in the 
case. A safe rule to follow, therefore, is to remember, first, to have 
the right attitude toward God and His son, Jesus Christ. Then, 
in the spirit of reverence for the Bible, approach it in prayer and 
with diligent study, using the best helps available in order to know 
the truth. 

Hold fast to every former position until conscientiously com- 

* A Note of Warning to the Teacher. At the outset the teacher needs to 
be reminded that it is not his business to parade his knowledge of this subject 
before the class. Nor is this phase of Bible study his most important duty. 
Nothing can take the place of the devotional study of the Bible for the 
purpose of developing faith and service. The chief business of the teacher 
is to build up the pupil in the faith. The knowledge of the subject under 
consideration is necessary only in order to be able to offset and disarm doubt 
when it arises. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 5 

pelled to give it up. Do so only after much serious thought, in 
view of the new facts discovered and pray for light from above. 
Cling to the best that is old and accept gratefully the new that is 
better. This will lead you into a deeper understanding of the Word, 
which brings peace of mind and heart and will prepare you to become 
a helpful teacher unto Christ for others. 

The Final Triumph. It is the part of Christian faith to be- 
lieve that out of all this present confusion concerning the Old Tes- 
tament, order will eventually come forth. Under the Providence of 
God the constructive Bible students of both liberal and conservative 
tendencies, working together in mutual confidence, will eventually 
replace the Bible upon the high pedestal from which some, in this 
time of storm and stress, seem to think it has fallen. 

Every day new evidence is being discovered, which is quieting 
to the mind and assuring to the heart of the humble believer, This 
conflict, too, over God's word will cease and once more, with still 
greater truth, will ring the refrain: 

"Hammer away, ye hostile bands, 
Your hammers break, God's anvil stands." 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. State three things mentioned in the lesson about the current 

views of the Bible. 

2. What should be the attitude of the teacher toward these views? 

3. Define the difference between the former popular view of the 

Bible and the newer view. 

4. What brought about the change? 

5. Name some of the literary sources which entered into the 

making of the Bible, as mentioned by the Bible itself. 

6. Point out the difference between these books and the Bible. 

7. Show how these newer facts are differently interpreted. 

8. Name and describe the two classes of modern Bible students. 

9. Name and describe the two divisions into which the study of 

the Old Testament falls. 

10. W r hat makes the study of the Old Testament so perplexing 

today ? 

11. How should the student approach this difficult problem? 

12. What do faithful Christians believe will be the outcome of the 

study of the Bible, from the newer point of view? 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 

DIAGRAM I 

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER'S 
OLD TESTAMENT LIBRARY 



Devotional. 

The Teacher's Reference Bible — American Revision. 
The Bible, Its Origin and Nature — Dodds. 
*Christian Faith and the Old Testament — Thomas. 
*The Origin and Permanent Value of the Old Testa- 
ment — Kent. 
Historical. 

The Heart of the Old Testament — Sampe. 
*01d Testament History— H. P. Smith. 
*The Historical Series for Bible Students 1 C. Scribner 
*The Historical Bible Series ) & Sons 

*Light on the Old Testament from Babylon — Clay. 
The Deciding Voice of the Monuments in Biblical Criti- 
cism — Kyle. 
Standard Chronology of the Holy Bible — Auchincloss. 
The Students' Historical Geography — Smith. 
Analytical. 

One Volume Commentary — Dummelow. 
Bible Dictionary — Davis. 
^Hastings' Bible Dictionary (One Vol. Ed.). 
Analytical Outlines of the Old Testament — Haig. 
*The Work of the Old Testament Priest — Harper. 

The Temple — Edersheim. 
*Prophecy and the Prophets — Eiselen. 
The Psalms in Human Life — Prothero. 
The Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament — Davis. 
**The Building Up of the Old Testament — Girdiestone. 
Literarv. 

The Antiquity of Hebrew W T riting and Literature — 
Zerbe. 
*The Canon of the Old Testament — Rjde. 
Introduction to the Old Testament — The Canon — Green. 
Introduction to the Old Testament — Raven. 
"Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament — 
Driver. 
How We Got Our Bible— Smyth. 
Our Sixty-six Books — Rice. 
*The Literary Study of the Bible — Moulton. 
The Modern Reader's Bible— Moulton. 
* Books marked with the asterisk present the more liberal 
view of the Old Testament. 

** This volume is perhaps the best all-round one book the 
student can purchase to aid him in his Old Testament studies. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 7 

LESSON II 
THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD 

Know the Map. If you expect to understand the Old Testa- 
ment you must first know the Old Testament Map. This is neces- 
sary, as we shall see later on, because the Hebrews came into con- 
tact in a political way with every large nation in ancient times. 
Not only that, but a part of the life of the Hebrew nation itself 
was spent on the native soil of these great nations. Egypt, Arabia. 
Syria, Assyria and Babylonia, in succession, became the home of 
the Israelites, in addition to Canaan, which the Jew claimed as his 
own country. 

The Leading Countries of the Old Testament World were 
twelve in number, as follows : Babylonia, Egypt, Assyria, Meso- 
potamia, Armenia, Syria, Palestine, Media, Elam or Susiana, Persia, 
Arabia, Asia Minor. 

The Chief Cities were Babylon, Capitol of Babylonia, Nineveh, 
Capitol of Assyria, Haran, Capitol of Mesopotamia, Damascus, Capi- 
tol of Syria, Jerusalem, Capitol of Palestine, Susa or Shushan be- 
came the Capitol of the Persian Empire, which later on included 
Persia. Elam and Media. 

Leading Rivers. The Euphrates, Tigris, Jordan and the Nile 
are the most prominent rivers mentioned in the history of the He- 
brew nation. 

A Bird's Eye View. The three following illustrations will 
help us to fix the Old Testament map in our minds. See pp. 9, 11, 14. 

The Old Testament World, as a Whole (p. 14), resembles the fore 
part of a giant dragon, in the. act of taking a great stride. The head 
is Asia Minor lying between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. 
The right front foot rests against Egypt, the left against the 
Persian Gulf. Arabia is represented by the land lying between 
the stride. The right leg represents Syria, Palestine and the Arabian 
Peninsula. The upper part of the left leg is formed by Mesopotamia 
and Asyria lying side by side, Mesopotamia situated between the 
upper Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, and to the East of it, beyond the 
Tigris, Assyria. The lower left leg represents Babylonia, including 
Chaldee, also called Shinar, lying between the Euphrates and Tigris 
Rivers. 

The shoulder represents Armenia lying north of Mesopotamia 



8 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

and Assyria. The trunk proper begins with Media located in the 
north, to the south of which, lying side by side, going from west 
to southeast, are Susiana and Persia. Carefully compare these 
statements, with the map on page 14, to help deepen the impression. 

The Euphrates Valley, by which we mean the land lying be- 
tween the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers and the lands adjoining, 
named above, is one of the most remarkable sections of land on 
the globe. Here tradition places the cradle of the human race. 
Its favorable climate and remarkable fertility are commented upon 
by ancient historians. 

A wonderful civilization had sprung up in this valley centuries 
before the days of Abraham. Kingdoms rose and fell, and all that 
is left today are the ruins resembling hills, standing out against 
the landscape. These hills, for centuries a mystery, have turned out 
to be ancient cities. Once famous temples, palaces, libraries, etc., 
have been laid bare to the human eye, and are restoring to us the 
forgotten past, of centuries before the Christian era. 

The Nile Valley. Another section of land which has a re- 
markable history, is that narrow strip located on both sides of the 
Nile River, extending canyon-like through the Sahara Desert, from 
the Delta up to the so-called First Cataract. 

"From cliff to cliff the valley varies in width from ten or twelve 
to some thirty miles. Except in the Delta it was but a narrow 
strip of land about 750 miles long. The cultivable area thus formed, 
between the cataract and the sea, is less than 10,000 square miles in 
extent, being roughly equal to the area of the State of Maryland." 

"In climate Egypt is 'a veritable paradise.' " Its productivity is 
marvelous, and is due to the annual deposits of rich soil, which 
are brought down by the spring rains and melting of the snows 
at the sources of the Nile, which lie in the Abyssinian Mountains. 

Thus shut in on the north by the harborless Delta, in the south 
by the cataract, on the east and west by the desert, in the midst 
of plenty, Egypt developed a wonderful civilization which dates 
back to over 4,000 years B. C. Into this narrow territory were 
crowded from seven to nine millions of people, who found a com- 
fortable livelihood. As in the Euphrates Valley, a lost past is com- 
ing to light, so here in the Nile Valley, "the mother of the Me- 
chanical Arts," the land of the Pyramids, of letters and religion, 
is opening up to us her ancient rich treasures. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 




10 Outune Studies on the Bible. 



THE MAP OF PALESTINE. 



1. The Physical Map. 

a. The Elevation of the Land, or the Four Zones. The physical 
map of Palestine on page 9, shows the elevation of the land in its 
various sections. By drawing a series of five almost parallel lines 
through the full length of the land from north to south, we get 
a rough sub-division of the land as to elevation. These divisions 
or zones we may designate as follows: 

1. The Maritime Plain. 2. The Central Mountain Range. 3. The 
Jordan Valley. 4. The Eastern Range beyond Jordan. The Cen- 
tral Range is broken through in the north by the plain of Esdraelon, 
which might be called a fifth zone. Otherwise this general division 
holds good throughout the Holy Land. 

b. The Zones Described. Starting from the Mediterranean coast, 
and cutting across the country until beyond Jordan, the land rises 
gradually, until we reach an elevation of about 1,000 feet, then 
there follows a plateau broken through by cross valleys running in 
a generally eastward and westward direction. Behind these valleys 
the precipitous walls of the central range rise up 2,000 feet in 
height. Then the land falls away again, until at the Dead Sea, the 
lowest part of the Jordan Valley, we find ourselves 1,292 feet below 
sea level. Across the Jordan the land again rises and becomes 
rough and rugged. 

2. The Political Map. 

The boundary line of Palestine, the home of the Hebrew nation, 
underwent constant change from the time of the Conquest undei 
Joshua, until shortly before the time of Christ, when it became 
more or less fixed. The early tribal division of the land gradually 
gave way to the division into provinces, of which there were four, 
as follows : Galilee, Samaria, Judea and Perea. 

At the close of the Old Testament period the land of Palestine, 
as far as its political^ divisions are concerned, resembled a fancy 
pitcher, narrow at the top and widening out at the bottom. Perea 
formed the handle, the Jordan River the eastern and the Mediter- 
ranean Sea the western boundary. See the map of Palestine on the 
opposite page. 
The Land of Palestine. 

1. Its Central Position. As remarkable as are the Euphrates and 
Nile Valleys, more so is Palestine, which stretches along the Jordan 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 

T7 



11 




12 % Outline Studies on the Bible. 

Valley. It has properly been called "The Bridge uniting the two 
continents of Africa and Asia," and "The Highway of the Nations," 
since the great roads which united the nations of antiquity ran 
along side and through this country. Over the Maritime plain 
passed most of the commerce and the armies on their way from the 
East into Eygpt. Upon the famous plain of Esdraelon in Galilee, 
the only inland plain of any dimensions, some of the decisive battles 
of the world were fought. Here Babylonia, Assyria, Syria, Egypt, 
Persia, Greece and Rome fought for world supremacy. Thus, 
even in a geographical sense, Palestine was the centre of the ancient 
world. 

2. Fortified from Within. Although in one sense so exposed, 
Palestine was shut in by the natural formation of the land. Its only 
river of any importance was the Jordan. Rising in the Lebanon 
Mountains, it flowed due south nearly parallel to the Mediterranean 
coast and emptied into the Dead Sea. On account of its rapid 
flow, even this, its only real river, was not navigable. Thus there 
was no approach to the open sea. The opportunity for developing 
seamanship being wanting, the Israelites were not lured away from 
home in this direction, and all contact with outside nations by water 
was cut off. In addition to this, deserts on the east and south 
shut Palestine in by land. Parallel to the Mediterranean coast, 
throughout the entire length of the land, except where the Plain 
of Esdraelon in the north broke through, a chain of mountains 
closed the land against the west. Mountains also formed the 
northern border. 

3. Climate and Fertility. A climate ranging from ice and snow 
to tropical conditions fitted the land to yield a great variety of 
foods. Commerce with the outside world became unnecessary. 

Thus, we see that Palestine was by nature so situated that it had 
access to the world's best civilization, which passed by its very 
doors, while at home was found everything necessary to supply all 
the physical needs of its people. 

As we shall see throughout these lessons, this wonderful land 
was not only the centre of the ancient world, but the spot to which 
the eyes of the entire world has looked, is looking and will ever 
look to satisfy its deepest needs. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 13 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Name the leading countries of the Old Testament world. 

2. Name the leading cities of antiquity. 

3. Describe the map which gives us a bird's-eye view of the Old 

Testament world. 

4. Tell what you know of the Euphrates Valley. 

5. Of the Nile Valley. 

6. Describe the Physical map of Palestine. 

7. Describe the Political map of Palestine. 

8. Show the prominent place Palestine held in antiquity, geo- 

graphically. 

9. Show how it was fortified from within. 



14 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



DIAGRAM II 




Outune Studies on the Bible. 15 

LESSON III 

"IN THE BEGINNING" 

Time. Creation— Abraham (about 2200 (2000) B. C). 

Sources. Genesis 1-11. 

Genesis 1-11 deals with the beginnings of created things. In these 
chapters the story is told as follows : Ch. 1. Creation. 2. The 
Garden of Eden. 3. Adam and Eve and the Origin of Sin. 4. Cain 
and Abel. 5. The Descendants of Adam. 6, 7, 8. The Flood. 
9. The Covenant with Noah. 10. The Descendants of Noah. 11. 
The Tower of Babel and the Confusion of Tongues. 

Whence This Information? Until recently the opinion was 
quite general that Moses received this information concerning the 
early history of the world directly from God through divine revela- 
tion. Not until similar accounts, particularly of the creation and 
flood, were discovered in other literature, have Bible students felt 
the need of seeking another answer to this question. 

Today scholars quite generally agree that the stories recorded in 
Genesis 1-11 were in circulation among the people in the days of 
Moses. This whole group of stories represents the traditions and 
written records, handed down from father to son, giving an account 
of how, from generation to generation, men had spoken of the day 
when the world was young; how from one human pair people 
began to increase upon the earth ; how sin multiplied and God 
punished the world with a flood ; how through the mercy of God 
a new start was made possible for humanity and how eventually 
as a result of further sin, men began to be scattered over all the 
earth, and to use different languages. 

Accounts of Similar Stories Among Other Nations.* Among 
the Babylonians in particular, do we find stories very much like 
some of those found in the Bible. Very similar, for instance, is 
the Chaldean story of the Creation and of the Flood, discovered 
on tablets found in the library of Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria 
(668-626 B. C). The stories themselves, however, go back into a 
more remote past. That such stories were found in the literature of 
other nations led some people, for the time being, to lose faith in 
the Bible and to say that it could not be the Word of God, because 

* See page 20-22. 



16 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

here we see clearly that the Bible, in part at least, is the word of 
men and that, too, of men of a heathen nation. 

The True Answer to This Difficulty. The fact that such 
stories are found elsewhere, simply testifies to the truth of the 
Bible itself. These stories tell of a time when the nations were 
still one family. So lasting was the impression they made on that 
day that centuries after the separation their written literature still 
contains the account thereof. 

Recent discoveries have shown the truthfulness of the Bible 
statement, as to the original home of the human race, and in parti- 
cular as to conditions at the time when Abraham, the Semite, lived 
in Babylonia, as a member of the latter nation. When God called 
him to leave his native city of Ur, in Chaldea, a province of ancient 
Babylonia, he probably brought with him the stories current in his 
home-land concerning the early history of the human race. These 
stories naturally would mean to him and his household what the 
story of colonial days means to an American patriot. 

Not only were these narratives treasured in the memory and told 
over and over again by these eastern shepherds in their lonely 
watches by day and night, but it has been shown recently that a 
high state of culture prevailed and that writing was known and 
very widely used in Babylonia at that time. It is not improbable, 
therefore, that Abraham, as a man of means, was learned and had 
in his own personal possession, written records of these stories. 

Stories of such great interest and importance to the human race 
are immortal, and so down from the days of Abraham, to the days 
of Moses, they were told and retold, until almost every man. woman 
and child knew them. In the course of time they became the pos- 
session of Moses and the Hebrew nation. 

Furthermore, we know that Moses was learned in all the wis- 
dom of the Egyptians. Thus trained, he was acquainted with the 
Babylonian language, the official language of the Egyptian Court 
at the time when he was being trained there by Pharoah's daughter. 
Prof. Clay in "Light on the Old Testament from Babel," page 254, 
tells us that some of the Tel-El-Amarna tablets* "were doubtless 
used as exercises in learning the cuneiform (Babylonian) language 
and script." 

* The Tel-el-Amarna tablets consist of about three hundred and fifty clay 
tablets, found in Egypt in 1887, which give the correspondence carried on 
between the Pharoah of Egypt and rulers of Canaan, at the time when the 
children of Israel dwelt in Egypt. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 17 

It is not only highly probable that this literature on the early his- 
tory of the human race formed a part of the reading matter of 
Moses, but that it constituted a necessary part of the education of 
every well trained Egyptian youth. 

Facts Versus Myth. "Legends" and "Myths" are terms fre- 
quently applied to these early stories. The fact that the early 
literature of other nations abounds in legends and myths is apt to 
prevent us from putting the proper estimate upon the early Bible 
story. 

To what extent — if at all — these stories, as we now find them in 
the Bible, contain a legendary element, we may never be able to 
determine. But so much is certain : As Israel has a very distincc 
place in the history of nations, known in very truth as God's 
people, so also does her Sacred Book, the Bible, hold a very distinct 
place in the history of literature, one held by no other book. 

The Difference Between the Bible Story and Other Similar 
Stories. The most superficial examination of these accounts will 
show, that in spite of their similarity, there is a world-wide differ- 
ence; the same difference which exists between mere human philos 
ophy and divine wisdom; between human literature and divine 
revelation. The influence of the spirit of God upon his servant 
Moses, gives the Bible story a divine stamp. 

The story as found in Genesis breathes the spirit of the one true 
and holy, living God, that of the other accounts the spirit of 
corrupt polytheism, or belief in many gods. To the substance of 
thought in the mind of Moses, gathered from book and story, as 
we saw in a previous lesson, God added something which could 
come from no mere man, and took away what was contrary to 
His idea of the one true and holy God, as far as this was possible, 
in the state of society in which Moses lived. 

Shall We Take These Stories Literally? To this question 
there are two answers. Faith says : to God all things are possible. 
Why not? Besides, day by day, archaeologists are re-establishing 
many facts mentioned in the Bible which had been questioned by 
some Bible students, so that we may well be on our guard, as to 
how we proceed in doubting the accuracy of these early Bible stories, 
even if some of them still seem wrapped in .mystery, owing to a 
lack of fuller knowledge on our part. 

But in reference to the story of creation, for instance, we must 
remember that while faith can give assent to the hozv of creation 



18 Outwne Studies on the Bibue. 

there described, science has raised serious questions, which must 
be taken into account. In solving this problem we must not forget 
that it is not God's intention to teach science in the Bible, but 
religion. Nor does the Bible deal with scientific terms, but with 
the language of the people. It cannot be denied, however, that at 
various points, the Bible view of creation does not harmonize with 
the accepted scientific view of today, nor did God so intend. 

The Fact and the How of Creation. God never does anything 
for man that man can do for himself. The fundamental fact under- 
lying the creation story is that God is the Author of Creation. As 
certain knowledge, this fact can come only from God. But the 
discovery of the how of creation, God has left in part to man's 
reason, directed, however, by the divine mind, latent in the Bible 
and in the world at all times. The non-Christian world, too, has 
this knowledge, but even here it comes from God. The conception 
of the fact of creation, presupposing a creation and a creator, is 
therefore the religious or purely divine element of the creation 
story in Genesis. 

On the other hand, the conception of the how of creation is the 
divine human element in the creation story. It is the revelation of 
God, given through imperfect human personalities, and was fitted 
to the capacity of the people, to whom it was given and is subject 
to the future development of the thought of the race. 

Thus, the Bible creation story expresses the view of creation 
held by the people in the day of Moses. In our day this view has 
changed. This is so because we have learned more about the world 
than the people knew in the days of Moses. The scientists, who 
are Christians, as a result of modern discovery, call the process of 
creation, development or evolution. But they see in this process 
the creative, guiding hand of God from beginning to end. Later 
generations will know still more about this creative process than 
we do. If we remember this, we can understand that true science 
and true religion can never be in conflict. We will grow stronger 
in our religious life and in our love of God, if we remember 
that he has so honored man as to leave the solution of these 
problems to him. At the same time, our regard for the results 
of true scientific investigation will increase. 

The above facts need not disturb us if we remember, further, 
that the same thing is true of many other parts of the Bible. For 
instance, the instructions concerning the sacrifices, which had value 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 19 

in the Old Testament times, are no longer binding upon us, although 
here, too, the religious truth underlying these instructions, "Wor 
ship the Lord Thy God," is an eternal truth. To understand this 
thought, will help us to solve many difficulties which may arise in 
our study of the Bible. Let us take another of these stories. 

The Story of the Fall of Man. In the course of its history, 
from the time it actually occurred in the far, dim, past until it 
reached the ears of Moses, this story may have taken on some of 
the Oriental, figurative language used in Genesis; but the fact has 
not changed and this language only makes more striking the hor- 
ribleness of man's sin against God, and the wonderful love of God 
in planning for his redemption. 

This view of the early chapters of Genesis gives full place to the 
principle found all through the Bible and in the history of the 
Church, namely, that of divine, human co-operation in religion. 
In this way both the divine and the human element in the Bible 
find their respective and legitimate place. Let us, therefore, take 
these stories in their whole sweep, just as we take the parables in 
the New Testament. Here, too, the letter killeth, the Spirit maketh 
alive. And yet in the Bible as a whole, let us not fail to see the 
guiding hand and overruling providence of God. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What does Genesis 1-11 treat of? 

2. Whence did Moses get this information? 

3. What effect did the discovery of stories similar to those told 

in Genesis have upon some believers? 

4. What is the true answer to this difficulty? 

5. Dare we apply the terms "Legends" and "Myths" to the stories 

of Genesis? 

6. Define the difference between the stories in Genesis and similar 

ones found in other ancient literature. 

7. Shall we take these stories literally? 

8. Show what in the Bible is permanent and what is subject to 

change in the course of time. 

9. Give several illustrations of the statement implied in Question 8. 



20 Outline Studies on the Bible. 



DIAGRAM III 



THE BABYLONIAN CREATION STORY 
The Creation of the World 

When above, heaven was not named, 

And the earth beneath was not called by name, 

The Primeval Apsu was their begetter, 

Mummu and Tiamat was the begetter of them all; 

Their waters were mingled together in one body; 

A field was not marked, a marsh was not seen, 

When the gods had not emerged, 

And they did not bear a name; and destinies had not been 

fixed; 
Then the gods were created in the midst (of the heavens) ; 
Lakhmu and Lakhamu were called forth; 
Time passed ********* 
Anshar and Kishar over them (were placed). 

"Let thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be unsheathed, 

Stand, I and thou ; then let us have a battle." 

When Tiamat heard these words, 

She acted like one possessed; she lost her senses. 

Tiamat shrieked wild piercing cries. 

Trembling, her whole frame shook to its very foundations. 

She uttered an incantation, she pronounced her spell; 

And the gods of the battle put into action their weapons. 

To the fight they came on ; to the battle they advanced. 

The lord spread out his net, and inclosed her. 

The evil wind that was behind (him), he let loose in her face, 

As Tiamat opened her mouth to its full extent, 

He drove in the evil wind, before she could shut her lips. 

The terrible winds filled her body. 

Her courage left her, and her mouth she opened wide. 

He seized the spear, and burst her body. 

He severed her inward-parts; he pierced her heart. 

He overpowered her, and cut off her life; 

He threw down her body, and stood upon it. 

He split her up like a flat (?) fish into two parts. 
He took one half and established a covering for heaven. 
He arranged a bolt; he stationed a watchman; 
And that her waters came not forth he commanded them. 
He crossed over the heavens ; he inspected the regions. 
Before the abyss he built a dwelling for Nudimmud (i. e., the 
god Ea), etc. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 21 



He made the stations for the great gods; 

The stars, their images, the constellations he fixed. 

He ordained the year, and into sections he divided it; 

The twelve months he fixed by three stars ; 

And after the days of the year he fixed by * * * 

He established the station of Nibir to determine their bounds, 

In order that none might err, or go astray. 

The stations of Bel, and of Ea, he established along with him. 

He opened the gates on both sides ; 

He strengthened the bolt on the left, and on the right. 

In the midst of it he fixed the zenith; 

Nannar (the Moon god) he caused to shine forth; the night 

he entrusted (to him). 
He appointed him a luminary for the night, to determine the 

days ; 
Monthly, without ceasing, with the disc he fashioned (it, 

saying) : 
At the beginning of the month, asthou riseth upon the land, 
The horns are to announce the fixing of the six days. 
On the seventh day, half the disc, etc. 

The Creation of Man 

When Marduk heard the words of the gods, 

His heart prompted him, and he devised (a cunning plan). 

He opened his mouth and unto Ea he spoke, 

(That which) he had conceived in his heart he imparted (unto 

him) : 
"My blood will I take and bone will I (fashion) ; 
I will make man, that man may *****" 
I will create man who shall inhabit (the earth), 
That the service of the gods may be established and that 

(their) shrines (may be built). 

THE BABYLONIAN STORY OF THE FLOOD 

I entered the ship, and closed the door. 

To the pilot of the ship, to Buzur-bel, the sailor, 

I entrusted the great house, together with its freight. 

When the first break of dawn appeared, 

There rose from the horizon a black cloud ; 

In which Ramman thundered. 

*********** 

Like a battle against the people it came on. 

A brother could not look after his brother. 

The people in heaven could not be seen. 

Even the gods were afraid of the flood, and 

They retreated; they ascended to the heaven of Anu. 

The gods cowered like dogs; in terror they laid down. 



Outwne Studies on the Bibi,e. 



Ishtar screamed like a woman in travail; 

The lady wailed with a loud voice (saying) : 

"Oh, that the former day had been turned to clay, 

When I in the assembly of the gods had advised this evil. 

Yea, when I ordered the tempest for the destruction of my 

people. 
I truly will give birth to my people (again), and 
Like a fish brood will I fill the sea." 
The gods of the Anunnaki wept with her; 
The gods were downcast, they sat weeping; 
Closed their lips ****** 
Six days and nights, 

The wind continued ; flood and tempest overwhelmed the land. 
At the approach of the seventh day, the tempest, the flood and 

the storm which had raged like khalti subsided. 
The sea became quiet, the tempest ceased, and the flood was 

over. 
I looked upon the sea, (its) voice was fixed (silent) ; 
And all mankind had returned to mud. 
And as the light of day advanced, I prayed. 
I opened the window, and the light fell upon my cheeks. 

As the seventh day approached 

I brought out a dove, (and) let it go. 

The dove went forth, (but) turned; 

A resting-place there was not, and it returned. 

I brought out a swallow, (and) let it go. 

The swallow went forth, (but) turned; 

A resting-place there was not, and it returned. 

I brought out a raven, (and) let it go; 

The raven went forth; it noticed the drying up of the water, 

and 
It ate, waded, (?) croaked, but did not return. 
Then I brought out (everything) to the four winds; (and) 

I offered a sacrifice. 
I prepared a libation upon the summit of the mountain. 
Seven by seven adagur pots I set. 
Into them I poured reeds, cedar-wood and myrtle. 
The gods smelt the savor, 
(Yea), the gods smelt the sweet savor; 
The gods swarmed like flies over the sacrificer. 
As soon as the lady of the gods drew nigh, 
She lifted up the great gems, which Anu had made according 

to her wish. 
"These gods, verily, by the precious stone of my neck I will 

never forget, 
These days, truly I will remember, I will never forget." 

— Light on the Old Testament from Babel. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 23 

LESSON IV 

BETWEEN THE LINES OF GENESIS 

Time. Creation— Moses (about 1500 (1300) B. C). 
Sources. Genesis 14-50. 

A Misconception. A small boy, when shown the map of Pales- 
tine, asked the question, "Was that when heaven was a going?" 
This illustration describes the state of mind with which many people 
approach the first pages of the Bible. The Book of Genesis is to 
them a great mystery. Its world does not seem to be the same as 
ours. God is so very present in it, that they think conditions then 
were radically different from those in our time. They think it the 
period when "heaven was a going" on earth, and yet we are dealing 
here with very human history. 

The Impression Genesis Seeks to Make. 

Indeed, the above seems to be the chief impression Genesis seeks 
to make. The author wants us to see more than anything else, God 
moving among men and continually active on the earth. He does 
not seek primarily to give the early history of the human race, but 
rather to teach religion. And yet a second glance at this great 
book, gives us a clear outline of the early history of mankind. 

Genesis tells of the creation of the world and of man, of the origin 
of sin and punishment, of the multiplication of mankind, of the 
origin and distribution of nations, of the steps in the preparation 
of one nation to carry out God's great purpose of redemption for 
mankind. But as, "in the beginning God," so to the end it is 
"God," not history, at which the author of Genesis aims. 

A Tribute to Modern Scholarship. It was left to the modern 
student to fill in the historical portrait of the times, only meagerly 
outlined in Genesis. Today we know that the world in Genesis was 
like our world in nearly every important particular. Earth "was a 
going" in those days like in our days. At the time when the author 
of Genesis wrote his story, nations had risen and fallen, after 
reaching a state of civilization as highly developed in mary particu- 
lars as our own. 

This historical background was known to the author of Genesis, 
even if it was not his intention to describe it. With his readers 
these facts were familiar history. With us they are no longer so. 
But fortunately, many of the facts are still accessible and more and 



24 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

more of them are becoming known daily. It helps us to understand 
the history of the Old Testament better, when thrown against its 
proper historical background. More than that, we can only get a 
clear picture of Genesis, as we know the world in which the peoples 
in the days of the beginnings lived. Such knowledge places Genesis 
on the plane of the world and of human history, where it belongs. 

Background of Secular History. Naturally, the very earliest 
beginnings of secular history have faded away into oblivion. We 
now have, what is probably the earliest fixed date in history, namely, 
the year of Sargon I, placed, according to some, at about 3800 B. C., 
by others at 2800 B. C. Professor Breasted even pushes the earliest 
fixed date as far back at 4241 B. C., claiming that the Egyptian 
calendar was introduced at that time. Babylon was then in a high 
state of civilization, with indications of processes of development 
reaching much farther back. 

In Genesis II, we find a reference to the rise of the various 
nations of antiquity and their dispersion over the earth. In only 
one of these nations is Genesis chiefly interested, namely, the 
Shemites,* or descendants of Shem, and that, because from this 
people, Abraham the father of the Hebrew nation was born. 

Secular history tells a strikingly similar story in reference to the 
rise and distribution of these races over the earth. We can speak 
here only of that one with which our subject especially deals, namely, 
the Semitic. The following is the Semite family tree, as gen- 
erally viewed by modern scholars, in the light of secular history: 

The Semite (Shemite) Family Tree 

Northern Arabians. 
Southern Semites. ■{ Sabaens or (Southern Arabians). 
Abyssinians (Ethiopians). 

Babylonians and Assyrians. 
. Aramaens. 
Northern Semites ^ C anaanites. 

(Hebrews.) 

By a common error the term Hebrew race is made to mean the 
same as Semitic race. In reality, however, the Hebrews are only 

* Although the term Semitic is the more correct one, yet Shemitic and 
Shemite are referred to here because of the more familiar Biblical name Shem. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 25 

one branch of the Semitic race, just as the Americans are but 
one branch of the English speaking peoples. 

The Dispersion. The original home of the Semites is today 
generally supposed to have been in Northern Arabia. Recently, 
however, some prominent scholars have contested this position, and 
assert that it was located west of the Euphrates, and that the 
migration of nations was at first eastward into Babylonia. But 
these two views need not necessarily be in conflict with one another, 
not if we remember that long before the dawn of history, the family 
is supposed to have separated and migrated, now one group, then 
another, north, east, south and west, until finally we find their 
posterity represented in history by the nations of antiquity, named 
in the Semitic family tree above. 

Powerful Nations of Early Bible Times. Babylonia, Egypt and 
later Assyria were the strong neighboring nations, with whom 
Israel's ancient history is inseparably connected. 

a. Babylonia ruled over Canaan centuries before and after 
Abraham's time. For nearly three centuries before the latter left 
Ur, in Chaldea, Babylonia, of which he was a citizen, had developed 
a high state of civilization. 

Some of the ancient temples, palaces, libraries, and other dwellings 
of Babylonia have recently been excavated, and from the ruins there 
has been dug out a thrilling story of the wonderful civilization which 
prevailed there, centuries before the Christian era. 

As a result, we now have a great deal of information concerning 
this powerful nation, not only at the time when one of its sons 
(Abraham) was commanded to go out from his native land, on 
his great mission, but centuries before the Hebrew nation came 
into being. 

b. Assyria. The history of Assyria, the child and later on con- 
queror of Babylonia, is so similar to that of Babylonia, at least as 
far as its religious history is concerned, that it need not be dealt 
with separately at this point. 

c. Egypt. Egypt, too, has a very ancient history, probably dating 
as fas back as 5000 B. C. or earlier. About 2000-1800 B. C. it reached 
its period of highest culture and was known as a land where "litera- 
ture flourished and poetry had reached a highly artistic structure." 
The industries, too, were highly developed and great wealth had 
been amassed. Religion was cultivated with much pomp and out- 
ward ceremony. 



26 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

The above description pictures to us conditions as they were in 
the days of Joseph. Much of this splendor still remained, when 
Moses was at the Court of Pharoah. 

Canaan. It is generally supposed that during the period de- 
scribed in Genesis, Canaan was a desolate, unoccupied land, over- 
run by roving shepherds and their flocks. Recent investigation 
has given us information, which shows that the contrary was the 
case. Max Mueller, a noted student of Ancient History, said some 
years ago: "The civilization of Palestine in the Patriarchal Age 
was fully equal to that of Egypt." 

We are told, for instance, that a postal system extending from 
Babylon through Canaan into Egypt, existed since 3750 B. C. The 
correspondence between Egypt and Palestine, of which the Tell-El- 
Amarna letters, described in a previous lesson are a part, is evidence 
to the point. Recent excavations have unearthed the long hidden 
civilization of this land and revealed to us its real character. 

Here is a list of the spoils carried away from Canaan to Egypt 
by Thothmes III, Pharoah of Egypt, when the Israelites dwelt in 
the latter country : "Inlaid and gilded chairs and tables and a golden 
plow and scepter, richly embroidered clothes, a chariot chased with 
silver, jewelled tent-poles, gold-plated chariots, iron armor inlaid 
with gold, a helmet of gold inlaid with lapis-lazuli." — Kyle. 

The facts mentioned in this chapter are but a sample of a great 
mass of similar information which has been gathered. These few 
facts suffice, however, to show what may be read between the lines 
of Genesis, in reference to the nations living long before the He- 
brew nation was called into existence, and of the neighboring 
nations of the Hebrews throughout the latter's national history. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What misconception generally prevails, as to the times of which 

the early chapters of the Bible speak? 

2. Show the error in this connection. 

3. What do you mean by the secular background of Genesis? 

4. Give the Semite family tree. 

5. Give the account of the dispersion, as shown by secular history. 

6. Give the names of the powerful neighbors of the Hebrews. 

7. Tell what you know of Babylonia and Assyria. 

8. Of Egypt. 

9. Of Canaan. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 27 

DIAGRAM IV 

THE CODES OF MOSES AND HAMMURABI COMPARED 



Hammurabi 

Law 8. — "If a man has 
stolen ox, or sheep, or ass, 
or pig, or goat, if from a 
god (temple), or a palace, 
he shall pay thirty-fold." 

Law 14. — "If a man has 
stolen a child of another, he 
shall be put to death." 



The Code of Hammurabi 

King Hammurabi (2200 B. C.)» bv many students con- 
sidered the same person as Amraphel in Genesis 14, was the 
author of a code of laws similar, in many respects, to that 
of Moses (1500 B. C). Notice the following instances: 

Moses 
Ex. 22:1.— "If a man 
shall steal an ox, or a sheep, 
and kill it, or sell it, he shall 
pay five oxen for an ox, and 
four sheep for a sheep." 

Ex. 21:16. — "He that 
stealeth a man, and selleth 
him, or if he be found in 
his hand, he shall surely be 
put to death." 
Superiority of the Mosaic Code 
"Dependence upon the Babylonian code, or even a common 
origin for both, cannot be proved at the present, and from 
the light at hand it does not seem plausible. 

"Between the Mosaic and the Hammurabi codes there is 
an exceedingly wide gulf. . . . The Hebrew also, in al- 
most every respect, religiously and ethically, is far superior to 
the Babylonian. The gods are prominently mentioned in the 
prologue and epilogue of the latter, but play no role in the 
code itself. Pure and simple external conformity to the law 
is all that is required. 

"The fundamental principle of the Israelitish command : 
'Be ye holy, for I am holy,' on the other hand has an inward 
emphasis which makes its impress upon all actions. 'Thou 
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself/ as well as purification 
and devotion to God, is the keynote of the Mosaic law. It 
was God's commandment that the Israelite was required to 
obey. Cursed was he that fulfilled not the words of the law 
to do them. This especially was the spirit of the prophets. 
This is totally foreign to the Babylonian code." — Clay. 
An Inscription of King Gimil-Sin of Ur of the Chaldees 
To the god Nannar, the first born of Bel, his beloved king 
Gimil-Sin, the beloved of Nannar, a king whom Bel had ap- 
pointed in his heart to be shepherd of the world, and of the 
four corners of the earth, the mighty king, king of Ur, king 
of the four corners of the earth, E-mu-ri-a-na-ba-ak, his be- 
loved house he has built. 



28 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

LESSON V 

THE PATRIARCHAL AGE 

Time. Abraham to the Twelve Sons of Jacob (about 2200-1900 
B. C). 

Sources. The Book of Genesis. 

Abraham, the Semite. We have just seen how closely ancient 
religious and secular history are related. We are not surprised to 
learn then, that until Abraham was called to found the Hebrew 
nation, he was a Babylonian, if not by birth, at least by adoption. 

As such, he was probably originally a heathen, perhaps a wor- 
shipper of Sin, the Moon God, the patron deity of Ur, his native 
city in Chaldea (Joshua 24:2). Laban, the nephew of Abraham, 
complains bitterly over the loss of his household gods, of which 
he was despoiled (Genesis 31:30-35). 

Although idolatory had crept into the family of Abraham's an- 
cestry, the very fact that he was called of God, and the further 
fact, that there was still in his possession the family tree tracing 
his ancestry back to the days of Noah, shows that there could easily 
have lingered in the memory of the family of Abraham, the image 
of the true God revealed centuries before, although now considerably 
dimmed and blurred by idolatry, in a land where heathenism reigned 
supreme. 

Abraham's whole subsequent career shows his natural religious 
bent. Back in the days of Ur, of Chaldea, he had a strong faith 
in a God whom he did not clearly know, but whom he earnestly 
longed to know. Likely for this reason God chose him to become 
the "Father of the Faithful" for all times. 

The Call of Abraham. Next to the appearing of Jesus Christ 
on this earth, perhaps no fact in history has a greater significance 
than the call of Abraham. This is so because it marks a great 
turning point in human events. It means that God turned the 
minds of men back from heathenism to the knowledge of the one 
true and living God. 

The call of Abraham is so very important, further, because once 
for all it gives the death blow to any and every naturalistic con- 
ception of religion. There always have been and there still are, par- 
ticularly in our day, students of religion who declare that the 
Hebrew religion, even Christianity, was only the product of a 
natural development, merely of the human mind and spirit. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 29 

On the contrary, the call of Abraham clearly shows a distinct 
divine revelation and that it was God who spoke to him and his 
successors of old. Finally God revealed himself through Christ, 
with the result that we have the religion of the Old Testament 
followed by Christianity, not as a product of man's thought, but of 
divine influence in human history. 

He did not speak to any other nation in just this way, hence we 
have China, Japan, India, Africa, still heathen, waiting for the 
Christian Church to carry out the command of their Lord, to fulfill 
the promise made to Abraham: "In thee shall all the nations of the 
earth be blessed." 

The Other Patriarchs. The student is referred to the Bible 
for the story of the life of Isaac, Jacob and his twelve sons. The 
object of this lesson is to throw additional light on the questions 
which have been raised in connection with the Patriarchal age. 

Problems of the Patriarchal Age. Certain scholars question 
the veracity of statements made in Genesis in reference to the 
Patriarchal age. Thus, for instance, they declare the reception of 
Abraham and Sarah at the Court of Pharoah and the whole story 
of the elevation of Joseph to the office of Prime Minister of Egypt, 
an impossible one. They declare the victory of Abraham over the 
four kings unhistoric because of Abraham's insignificant power in 
comparison with the forces arrayed against him. The story of 
Sodom and Gomorrah they declare scientifically impossible. 

Solutions of These Problems Offered. 

1. Abraham and Joseph. A proper appreciation of the political 
situation in Egypt in the Patriarchal age will do much to clear 
up the problem as to Abraham's reception at the Court of Pharoah 
and Joseph's elevation. 

At this time the Hyksos, or so-called Shepherd kings, who were 
probably Semites, sat upon the throne of Egypt. The reception of 
a visiting rich nomadic sheik, such as Abraham was, should not 
seem an impossible event. Especially when accompanied by one 
introduced as his sister, whom the Pharoah desired to add to his 
harem. 

The same political situation will account for the possibility of 
Joseph's promotion and his court life. Attention has been called to 
an apparently still more impossible fact in present day history — 



30 Outune Studies on the Bibie. 

the elevation of a slave girl, the recent Empress Dowager, to the 
throne of China, an almost incredible thing indeed. That this may 
seem impossible to some future generation of Chinese, will not 
change the fact. 

On the question of Joseph in Egypt, Dr. Kyle, in "The Deciding 
Voice of the Monuments in Biblical Criticism," has this to say: 
"This whole history of the descent into Egypt is most essentially 
reasonable and credible. Undoubted identifications confirm the topo- 
graphic and ethic notices in the patriarchal story; Egyptian descrip- 
tions substantiate the manners and customs depicted in the Bible; 
Egyptian scarabs confirm even the very name 'Jacob' for that period 
in Egypt; Egyptian history furnishes a similar famine story and 
attests the 'abomination' in which 'shepherds' were held, and the 
Egyptian funeral customs most exactly illustrate the funeral and 
the mourning for Jacob. This part of the patriarchal story fits, in 
every way, exactly into the age and the lands to which the Bible 
attributes it." 

2. The War of the Kings, Gen. 14, if carefully read, will appear 
rather as a skirmish of the rear guard, which carried off Lot, whom 
Abraham successfully rescued. The bulk of the united army, re- 
turning victoriously in quelling a disturbance by the kings of the 
plain, was not affected by so insignificant an event, which was only 
incidental to it. The author has no interest in the historical situa- 
tion as a whole — he is interested only in Abraham and Lot, and in 
Abraham's heroic act, which it truly was. 

3. Sodom and Gomorrah receive a new interpretation in the light 
of recent expert geological discovery. It has been shown, for in- 
stance, that in the neighborhood of these cities there are burnt out 
bitumen pits, which, in a very remote past, were caused by the 
igniting of gases, which resulted in blowing off the surface of the 
hills. Such an occurrence would be apt to make just the impression 
upon an ancient people described in Genesis 19: 23-29. It is inter- 
esting to note also in this connection that, in 1911, an extinct vol- 
cano was found on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea. 

4. Nomads in Civilised Society. Objection is raised to the possi- 
bility of Abraham's ability to lead the life of a nomad with so free 
a hand as he does, in a land where civilization was as far ad- 
vanced as in Canaan in his day. In reply it may be said that this 
same condition of affairs exists in Palestine, Turkey and other 
oriental countries even today. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 31 

5. Unsolved Problems. Not all problems presented by the Book 
of Genesis have been satisfactorily solved, but the experience of 
the past has shown that as the study of archaeology advances and 
new facts are discovered, one problem after another is finding its 
solution, and the statements of the Bible are being verified. We 
can afford to wait, and should be slow in questioning the historical 
statements of the Bible where there seems to be any doubt. Future 
investigations will only the more tend to vindicate the Scriptures. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Tell what you know of Abraham before his call. 

2. Show the great significance of the call of Abraham. 

3. Mention some of the problems in connection with the Patri- 

archal Age. 

4. What may be said as to the objection raised against the re- 

ception given Abraham at the Egyptian court? 

5. What reply would you give to the attack upon the historicity 

of the career of Joseph? 

6. What may be said as to the war of the Kings? 

7. What new light is thrown upon the story of Sodom and 

Gomorrah? 

8. Is the idea of the nomadic life of Abraham in conflict with the 

state of civilization prevailing in Canaan in his day? 

9. What is to be said about the unsolved problems of the Old 

Testament in general? 



32 Outwne Studies on the Bibi,e. 

DIAGRAM V 

IMPORTANT EVENTS IN THE LIVES OF THE 
PATRIARCHS 



Abraham. 

Born in Ur of Chaldea, 2200 (2000) B. C. 

Left Haran at the age of 75 years. 

Ishmael is born 10 years later. 

Isaac is born when Abraham is 100 years old. 

About 25 years later Isaac is offered up. 

The death of Sarah occurs when Abraham is about 137 

years old. 
Died at the age of 175. 

Isaac. 

Born about 2100 B. C. 

Married at the age of 40. 

His two sons are Jacob and Esau. 

137 years old when deceived by Jacob. 

Died at the age of 180. 

Jacob. 

Born about 2040 B. C. 

Fled to Haran when about 77 years old. 

From him are descended the 12 sons, after whom the 

tribes of Israel are named. 
Joseph, the most prominent of these sons, is born when 

Jacob is about 90 years old. 
He was about 130 years old when he went down into 
Egypt. 
Died at the age of 147. 

Joseph. 

Born about 1949 B. C. 

He is sold at the age of 17. 

Interprets Pharoah's dreams at 30. 

At about 40 he welcomes his father in Egypt. 

Died at the age of 110. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 33 

LESSON VI 
THE WORK OF MOSES 

Time. The days of Moses (about 1500 (1300) -1380 (1180) 
B. C). 

Sources. The Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuter- 
onomy. 

The Political Situation in Egypt in the time of Moses. The 

book of Genesis closes with the tribes happy in Egypt. The first 
chapter of Exodus tells us : "Now there arose up a new king over 
Egypt which knew not Joseph." Between these two statements there 
is a large stretch of time. The Hyksos, or so-called Shepherd 
kings, who were so favorable to the Hebrews, had been driven from 
the throne of Egypt and native kings, hostile to the Hebrews, were 
again reinstated. 

The Preparation of Moses. Fearing the growing strength of 
the Hebrews, the Egyptians began to oppress and to reduce them to 
slavery. It is at this point that Moses, who had escaped persecution 
and death, comes upon the scene of action. Back of him lies a 
period of eighty years of training, forty of which were spent at the 
Egyptian court, where he was educated in all the wisdom of the 
Egyptians, and forty in the school of Jehovah, in the wilderness of 
Midian, whither he fled for safety, when the patriotic impulse of 
youth led him to slay an Egyptian in defense of a fellow-kinsman. 

The Call of Moses came to him when in Midian. This call 
meant for him, to go to Pharoah, demand the deliverance of his 
people, and to lead them back as God's people into their inheritance 
in the Land of Promise. 

The Character of Moses' Work. To carry out this divine com- 
mand, Moses realized that several things were necessary : First, 
Patriotic statesmanship ; Second, Military generalship ; Third, Re- 
ligious leadership; Fourth, Literary authorship. These four lines 
indicate the character of the great work of Moses. The first three 
will be considered in this lesson, the fourth in the lesson following. 

Patriotic Statesmanship. The cry of the Hebrews in bondage 
in Egypt, not only came up to God, but it found a response in 
Moses. The fond desire of his youth, to defend his brethren as 
individuals, had now become the determination to liberate them 



34 Outwne Studies on the Bibi^e. 

unitedly. Hence, his untiring efforts before Pharoah, and his chal- 
lenge to his people to prepare for their deliverance. 

Moses finds the Hebrews a disorganized, spirit-broken host of 
slaves. He leaves them an organized nation, with a well-defined 
written code of laws for moral self-government and a well wrought- 
out system of religious worship. From the very beginning of his 
activity to deliver his people, during every inch of the difficult way 
through the wilderness, until he turns over the reins of govern- 
ment to Joshua at the doors of Canaan, we are struck by his 
wise and unselfish patriotic statesmanship. Without this help his 
people would have perished in the wilderness. For them he was 
ready to be blotted out of the Book of God's remembrance. 

Military Generalship. As great as was the need of statesman- 
ship, in securing the liberty of his people, much greater still was 
that of generalship, in handling this host once free. The enormity of 
the task may be realized when we remember, first, the rize of the 
population, estimated by some at several millions; second, the state 
of unpreparedness for the journey (for the deliverance came as a 
surprise) ; third, what the wilderness journey brings out clearly — 
namely, that the Hebrews were a stiff-necked people, constantly in 
revolt against Jehovah and Moses. 

Yet, in spite of these great difficulties, Moses welds and holds 
his people together for forty years and leads them safely to their 
destination, through a desert land overrun by bitter foes. This 
undertaking ranks among the most wonderful military feats in his- 
tory. Concerning the route of the wilderness journey, a recent 
scholar (Kyle) has said "the description in the Bible is most exact. 
Some travelers preparing for this same trip today inquired about 
a guide book. The answer was: 'Take your Bible. It is the best.' 
And it was." 

Religious Leadership. But the task of Moses was also a great 
religious task. Take away from the wilderness sojourn its religious 
element and we cannot believe the story possible. Take this into 
account and we find both the secret of Moses' power and the force 
which impelled the people to hold together and to go forward. 

The Divine Plan of Leadership for Moses. When God called 
Moses to his great task he at first shrank from it, realizing that 
such an undertaking was absolutely hopeless, as far as mere human 
power was concerned. But Jehovah not only had His man, he also 
had His plan. Moses soon learned that not Moses but Jehovah, 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 35 

through Moses, would carry out his great purpose, and not for 
Israel alone, but for the entire human race, as foretold Abraham 
centuries before. Hence, in the wilderness Jehovah gave to Moses 
the following plan, whereby this great purpose was to be carried 
forward to its realization. 

1. The Divine Presence. Through the pillar of cloud and fire 
(Ex. 13: 21) as a symbol, Jehovah reminded the people of His divine 
leadership. Driven about by the uncertainties of the wilderness 
life, such a symbol became an absolute necessity. 

2. The Tabernacle, which God commanded Moses and the people 
to make, and which contained the Ark of the Covenant, was a con- 
stant reminder, not only of the presence of God, but of the close 
contact which was ever to exist between Him and their daily affairs. 
Here Israel was to appear every day to be reminded of God's pres- 
ence and of His ever present help. 

3. The Sacrifices and Other Ceremonies, a. The Sacrifices taught 
the Israelites at least three important truths: (1) The proper re- 
lation existing between Jehovah and Israel. Jehovah is a holy God. 
Man is sinful. Jehovah is displeased with sin and requires of the 
sinner repentance and atonement. The sacrifices are accepted as a 
substitute for the atonement, which man cannot accomplish until the 
real atonement (Heb. 9:11-14) is made upon the Cross, of which 
the sacrifices are a foreshadowing. (2) Divine Ownership of All 
Things. The sacrifices represented possessions. The Jew was to 
know that God was the owner of all things. What men possess is 
but a gift of God. The offering of the sacrifice was the recognition 
of this fact. (3) The Necessity of Gratitude. Daily sacrifices were 
to be brought to Jehovah. Thus there was held up before the Israel- 
ites the necessity of continued gratitude to Jehovah, from whose lav- 
ish hand they received all things. The mere feeling of gratitude or 
utterance of it by word of mouth was not sufficient. A gift, in the 
form of a sacrifice, was required to prove that the gratitude was 
sincere. 

b. The Other Ceremonies, such as related to purification, vows, 
clean and unclean food, etc., all aimed to give directions for prop- 
erly living the religious life. (4) The Law, in a sentence, was in- 
tended to teach Israel how to live before Jehovah in order to please 
him. We are accustomed to speak of the Law under the following 
three heads: (a) Ceremonial; (b) Civil, and (c) Moral law. Of 
the Ceremonial law, which taught Israel her direct duties to Jehovah, 



36 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

the preceding paragraph speaks. The Civil law taught man's duty 
to society or the State. The Moral law taught him his duty to his 
fellow-man. 

The Part Moses Had in Shaping the Religious Program of 
Israel. Although the plan was of God, to Moses was given the 
vision to see the religious need of Israel, if this divine world plan 
should succeed. There was also given to him the ability to formu- 
late, in a practical way, his vision, and to put into execution the 
plan as far as the conditions under which Moses found the nation, 
permitted. 

But as Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land, 
which he viewed only from afar, so, too, did he not see his ideal 
attain its realization in full. This work was left for future genera- 
tions. As a religious leader he has perhaps only one superior in 
history, the one who was "Greater than Moses." 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What was the political situation in Egypt at the time of the 

Exodus ? 

2. Describe the preparation of Moses for his life work. 

3. Mention the fourfold character of the work of Moses. 

4. Describe his work as a patriotic statesman. 

5. How did he show his ability as a military general? 

6. Outline his work as a religious leader. 

7. Mention four means divinely suggested to Moses, to cultivate 

the spiritual life of the people. 

8. What was the significance of: 

1. The Pillar of Cloud and Fire? 

2. The Tabernacle? 

3. The sacrifices and other ceremonies? 

4. The Law — how sub-divided? 

9. What part did Moses play in the religious program of Israel? 
10. Did Moses live to see his plan realized? 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



37 



DIAGRAM VI 



TH£ VMLT)E*tf&5<, ToWRNB^. 




38 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

LESSON VII 

THE LITERARY ACTIVITY OF MOSES 

Time. Period of the Wilderness Journey (about 1420 (1220)- 
1380 (1180) B. C). 

Sources. Genesis to Deuteronomy, especially Ex. 24 : 34, Ex. 34 ■ 
28, Numbers 33 : 1-2, Dt. 31 : 9. 

The Record of the Work of Moses. The first five books of 
the Bible, also called the Pentateuch, give us the record of the life 
and work of Moses. But who wrote the Pentateuch? No question 
in the study of the Old Testament is being discussed more widely 
in our day than this one. For centuries Moses has passed for the 
author of the Pentateuch, but this assertion is now being seriously" 
challenged. Even earnest Christian scholars are divided on this 
point. Their views may be summed up briefly as follows: 

1. That Moses wrote the Pentateuch, practically in the form in 
which we have it today. 

2. That the Pentateuch is a book made up of many parts, written 
by different authors, stretching over many centuries. They claim 
that among these authors Moses, as a writer, holds a very insignifi- 
cant place. 

According to some of these scholars, he wrote nothing; according 
to others, possibly only the Ten Commandments in abbreviated 
form ; according to still others, larger portions. But almost all 
students of this newer view agree that the Pentateuch is at least 
Mosaic in spirit, and because of this fact, a later age gave his 
name to the entire five books. 

For the sake of convenience let us call these views : 1. The 
Theory of the Mosaic Authorship of the Pentateuch, and 2. The 
Theory of the Late Composite Authorship of the Hexateuch. Let 
us take up these views in their reverse order. 

1. The Theory of the Late Composite Authorship of the 
Hexateuch 

And here at the outset we must call the attention of the student 
to the fact that these scholars are accustomed to speak of the 
composite authorship, not of the Pentateuch only, but of the Hexa- 
teuch, which means that not only the Five books of Moses, but 
also the Book of Joshua, because of its similarity to the books 
ascribed to Moses, must be studied together. According to this 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 39 

view these six books of the Bible together constitute a distinct, 
inseparable literary product, called the Hexateuch. 

Reasons Given for the Composite View. There must be a 
cause why scholars have given up the old view that Moses wrote 
the Pentateuch. The following are some of the many reasons given : 

First, double accounts of one and the same events suggest two 
different authors. For example, see the twofold account of the 
Creation, of the Flood and other similar stories in the first chapters 
of Genesis. 

Second, the use of the name of God as Jehovah in certain por- 
tions, and as Elohim in others, indicates, it is asserted, that parts of 
the Pentateuch were written by an author or authors who lived in 
a day when it was customary to speak of God as Jehovah, and 
other parts by authors who lived and wrote in a later day, when 
Elohim was the name of God commonly used. 

Third, it is claimed that in the Pentateuch there are many laws 
and customs which point to a time centuries later than Moses. 

Fourth, that Hebrew writing dates from a time long after Moses 
lived. These are a few of the more important reasons given why 
some students claim Moses could not have written the Pentateuch, 
nor that it could have been the product of one age. 

Origin of the Hexateuch, According to the Late Composite 
View. The scholars holding the composite view claim that the 
Hexateuch had a gradual development. They say that it was written 
in separate parts, which later on were put together into one volume, 
by some unknown scholar or scholars, many centuries after Moses 
died. The following are the stages of development. The separate 
documents used in the development, for lack of the names of their 
authors, are indicated by letters as follows :* 

J. is the name given the oldest document, which is supposed to 
have been written in the south of Palestine about 850-650 B. C. 
It is so named chiefly because the name Jehovah is used for God. 

E. is the next oldest document, and is supposed to have been 
written in the north of Palestine about 800'-700 B. C. It is so named 
chiefly because Elohim is used for God. 

D. another document supposedly dating from 721-621 B. C., is so 
named because it contains most of our present book of Deuteronomy. 

* Zerbe. Antiquity of Hebrew writing and literature, pp. 12 and 13. 



40 Outxine Studies on the Bibi^e. 

P. is another document, last in order of time. It is called P., or 
the Priestly code, and is supposed to be made up largely of what is 
now our book of Leviticus, which deals with the laws regulating 
the priesthood and the worship of Jehovah. The date of its origin 
is placed during or immediately after the Exile. 

These four documents are supposed to have been constructed 
partly from oral tradition and partly from older written documents. 
At first J. E. D. and P., it is supposed, each existed separately. 
In course of time J. and E. were united into one document, which 
is called J. E. After this D. appeared. A later writer united it 
with J. E., making J. E. D. Finally P. appeared, and was added 
to the rest, and we have J. E. D. P., or what is now known as 
our Hexateuch. 

This process of gathering in permanent form, Israel's national 
records is supposed to have begun no sooner than about 850 B. C, 
and not to have reached its completion until about 350 B. C or later. 
The whole plan presupposes a great many authors. According to 
this view, naturally Moses has a very insignificant place as a writer. 
Instead of one age, centuries of development are presupposed for 
the completion of this literary product. 

2. The Theory of the Mosaic Authorship 

Back to Moses. Until quite recently nearly every leading Old 
Testament scholar of any renown, accepted the composite view out- 
lined above, as the only correct one. There is evidence, however, 
that students, after a very searching study of the question, are show- 
ing a tendency to return to the view that the material in the Penta- 
teuch was gathered and written very largely at one time, and by 
one or more authors* The evidence, they think, points to the age 
of Moses as the most logical time for its composition, and to Moses 
as its leading author and compiler. 

Arguments Against the Mosaic Authorship Refuted. 

The Double Narratives mentioned above, can as easily be ex- 
plained with Moses as the compiler as with any other. There is no 
reason why Moses should not have used older documents in his 
work of composition. 

* Thus Orr, Sayce, Hommel, Naville, Halevy, Kyle, Zerbe, Raven. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 41 

The Use of the Name of God. By many scholars it is now 
held that this discrimination between Jehovah and Elohim is over- 
drawn and will not hold out. 

Some Portions not from Moses* Pen. Those who consider 
Moses as the author do not deny that a later author or authors may 
have added minor parts. This certainly is true of the section which 
describes the death of Moses (Deut. 34:5-12). This is equally pos- 
sible in the case of other smaller portions and additions. Never- 
theless, granting this, does not deny to Moses the authorship of the 
Pentateuch in the main. 

"Dr. Sampey, in 'The Heart of the Old Testament,' says 'Modern 
radical criticism has gone too far in its opposition to Mosaic author- 
ship. The plain reader who ascribes everything in the Pentateuch to 
Moses as the responsible author is nearer the truth than the modern 
critics who talk learnedly of a host of unknown authors and 
editors.' " 

The Most Deadly Argument formerly raised against Moses 
as the author and compiler was the supposition that Hebrew was 
not a written language until long after his day; hence, Moses could 
not have written the Pentateuch. The reply to this argument is the 
well-known Moabite Stone, which dates from about 850 B. C, written 
in Hebrew. While this is the earliest specimen of Hebrew writing 
known today, it does not follow that older ones may not be in 
existence even now. The spade may turn them up at any time. 

But even if no such a specimen should ever be found, it is evident 
that Hebrew writing must have had a history of centuries before 
it reached the development we find on the Moabite Stone. So that 
it is not so improbable after all that Hebrew was an unwritten 
language in the days of Moses. 

Positive Arguments in Favor of the Mosaic Authorship. 

1. The testimony of the Bible itself claims Moses as the author 
of large portions of the Pentateuch. Ex. 24 : 34, Ex. 34 : 28, Num- 
bers 33 : 1-2, Deut. 31 : 9. 

2. Egyptian words scattered throughout the whole Pentateuch show 
its close relation to the time when Israel was led out of Egypt. If 
written much later, as those who hold the theory of the Late 
Composite Authorship maintain, these "finger prints" determining 



42 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

the Mosaic age, would be absent from the Pentateuch. 

3. Moses' learning guarantees his ability to write the Pentateuch. 

4. His great zeal for his nation would naturally foster a desire 
to hand down a permanent record of God's wonderful dealings with 
his people during this vitally important period of their history. 

5. The learned Moses, the greatest man in Old Testament history, 
is the man to whom we naturally look as the author of this wonder- 
ful book. 

6. If there are things in the Pentateuch which point to a later 
date, we must remember that Moses was far ahead of his age, that 
he was a divinely inspired prophet and that he wrote during a 
period of forty years. This long period will account, in a measure, 
for the development noticed between the earlier and later legislation 
in his writings. Remembering this, will help us to solve many an 
otherwise difficult problem in our study of the Pentateuch. 

7. If there are problems in connection with the theory of the 
Mosaic Authorship there are many more, and more difficult ones, 
too, connected with the theory of the Late Composite Authorship. 

Are These Two Views Reconcilable. 

We have already seen that it can no longer be maintained that 
Moses wrote the entire Pentateuch. Furthermore, the general con- 
sensus of opinion of Old Testament scholars is in favor of the 
documents and the composite character of the Pentateuch. This 
fact is too well established to be denied. 

Although this may be true, it is a far way from admitting that 
Moses wrote little or nothing of the Pentateuch. Nor are we com- 
pelled thereby to admit that the documents used in the composition 
of the Pentateuch arose at a time long after Moses lived. 

Some students incline to the belief that the documents date to 
the period of Moses, and that he is the author in part, and com- 
piler of practically all of the Pentateuch. Other students hold with 
Dr. Zerbe, that "under this view the documents and codes underlying 
the Pentateuch, virtually sustain the same relation to the Mosaic age 
in point of time, content and literary form as the four gospels to 
that of Christ." 

What Difference Does it Make? As far as the religious value 
of the Pentateuch is concerned, it matters little whether all of the 



Outune Studies on the Bible. 43 

five books were written by Moses or not, or whether they are 
of a composite character, the product of earlier or contemporaneous 
writers, whose works Moses gathered into a united whole. It mat- 
ters little, especially in view of the fact that it is nowhere explicitly 
said that Moses wrote all of the Pentateuch. 

But when it comes to the question of the time when these docu- 
ments appeared in history, the situation is entirely different, and it 
matters very much. If these documents date approximately from 
the time of Moses, we have before us a narration of what were 
considered the facts or actual history, whereas in the other case 
we have only a guess at what the facts of centuries ago might have 
been. In short, we are then dealing, not with history, but largely 
with conjecture. 

If, in addition, these facts are presented as if by one living in 
the long ago, which he seeks to describe, then we have deception 
rather than truth as a basis of much of the Pentateuch narrative, 
and this makes all the difference in the world. Hence, our concern 
about who wrote the Pentateuch and when it was written. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Where do we find the record of Moses' work? 

2. What are the two current views as to who wrote the Penta- 

teuch ? 

3. What do we mean by the composite authorship of the Hexa- 

teuch ? 

4. State three reasons for this view. 

5. State how the Hexateuch came into existence. 

a. Name the separate documents. 

b. When are they supposed to have been written? 

c. How were they united into one volume? 

6. What is meant by the view of the Mosaic authorship of the 

Pentateuch ? 

7. Name four arguments brought against this view and the re- 

plies given to each. 

8. Name seven positive arguments in favor of the Mosaic author- 

ship. 

9. Show that the two theories are reconcilable. 

10. What difference does it make who wrote the Pentateuch? 



44 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



DIAGRAM VII 

ORIGIN OF THE PENTATEUCH 
The Two Views 



1. Numerous unknown au- 


1. Moses, the author and 


thors. 


chief compiler. 


2. Composed as follows : 


2. Composed from : 


E — document. 


a. Oral tradition. 


J- " 


b. Existing documents. 


D— " 


c. Direct revelation. 


P— " 


(Possibly E, J, D and 




P, but of much earlier 


3. Written during ten cen- 


date.) 


turies. 




4. E, J, D and P united af- 


3. Written in the main dur- 


ter the Exile into one 


ing the time of Moses. 


volume (now called the 


4. The Pentateuch given its 


Hexateuch), by an un- 


present form after the 


known author (called 


Exile, by the addition 


R. redactor). 


of some minor mate- 




rial and editing. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 45 

LESSON VIII 

THE HISTORY OF THE HEBREW RELIGION 

Time. Abraham to Christ (2200 B. C. to A. D.). 
Sources. The Old Testament Books. 

The Heart of the Old Testament Controversy. This lesson 
deals with the problem which underlies the entire controversy, which 
at present is being waged over the Old Testament. How did Israel 
get its system of religion, its Tabernacle, Temple, its mode of wor- 
ship, with its priesthood, sacrifices, feasts and laws regulating its 
religious observances and its moral action? 

Opposing Views. The answer we give to the above question 
will depend very largely upon the answer we give to the question 
raised in the last lesson — "Who wrote the Pentateuch?" First, 
was the religious system of the Hebrews revealed to Moses in the 
wilderness, as the first five books of the Bible tell us? or, second, 
was the system planned by pious and zealous Jewish leaders — 
priests — during and after the Exile (500-350 B. C), as some scholars 
would have us believe? In other words, was the Exile, or the 
Wilderness the Cradle of the Hebrew system of religion? Modern 
Bible students are divided into opposing camps on this point. We 
may call the views they represent respectively: 1. The Biblical 
View of the Bible, or Mosaic Ideal of Hebrew religion. 2. The 
View of the Literary Critic, or The Post-exilic Ideal of Hebrew re- 
ligion. 

The Mosaic Ideal of Hebrew Religion 
the bible view. 

a. Such an Ideal Possible. It is sometimes objected that moral 
and religious conditions in the day of Moses were such that they 
make the account of Hebrew religion ascribed to him in the Penta- 
teuch impossible. The only way to account for the picture of re- 
ligion, drawn in these books, they say, is to ascribe them to a much 
later age. They maintain that only by a process of development 
covering centuries, could such a condition of affairs, as found in 
the Pentateuch, have come to pass. 

In reply we observe that history abundantly teaches that ideals 
are born in the minds of individuals centuries before they become 
fully realized in the life of the people. Christianity, for instance, 



46 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

is over nineteen centuries old, and still the world is far from 
realizing the Master's ideal of it. Those who believe in a divine 
revelation, and in Moses as an inspired leader and prophet, should 
not find much difficulty in accepting the account of the Hebrew re- 
ligious system as dating from Moses in the Wilderness. In fact, 
as we saw in a previous lesson, it is just what we would expect of 
a man so profoundly religious and so marvelously endowed in other 
ways as Moses was. 

At this important crisis in Israel's history a definite revelation 
from God was needed. The nation was just born, they were God's 
chosen people and needed a definite program to guide them in de- 
veloping their national and religious life. This program Moses 
was divinely called upon and inspired to give them. 

b. The Ideal Slowly Realized. It is one thing to say, that through 
Moses God gave His people this religious ideal. It is quite another 
thing to say that Israel lived up to it at once. Future history shows 
that this is not the case. Neither was it expected, as we saw in 
a previous lesson, or even possible. Centuries were to elapse before 
this could or should happen. But this is no real argument against 
the existence of the ideal itself, as given to Moses and known all 
through Israel's history. (See especially the next lesson.) For- 
gotten at times and lost sight of yes, but known, none the less, 
as the various attempts at reform, according to the Mosaic ideal 
show. 

The Post-Exilic Ideal oe Hebrew Religion 
the view oe the literary critic 

Reasons Given for This View. 

1. The Pentateuch a Development of Centuries. In the belief that 
Israel's religious system, as outlined in the Pentateuch, could only 
be the result of a development covering many centuries, the literary 
critic thinks he can account for the Pentateuch only by ascribing 
it to different authors, who lived during many centuries, say from 
about 1350' B. C. to 350 B. C. 

2. The Prophetic and Priestly Writers. These authors of the 
Pentateuch, the literary critic classes under two heads, known as 
first, Prophetic Writers (the earlier writers) ; second, Priestly 
Writers (the later writers). These two classes of writers, it is 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 47 

claimed, represented different parties and interests in the Old Testa- 
ment Church, which were not in harmony with one another. 

3. Remaking or Idealizing History. The literary critic claims 
further that the prophetic writers, in describing events of or near 
their day, presented the facts as they actually occurred. Many 
centuries later the priestly writers are supposed to have taken these 
same facts and to have rewritten or idealized them, from the stand- 
point of their own day, removing what seemed to them objection- 
able, and adding elements intended to present the facts in a more 
favorable light. What is true of the Pentateuch in this respect, 
these critics claim is true of most of the historical books of the 
Old Testament. 

Thus, for instance, the Books of Kings are supposed to have been 
written by a prophetic writer, who, to use but one illustration, gives 
us the life of David as it was actually lived; the Books of Chron- 
icles, on the other hand, are supposed to be from a priestly writer, 
and give a revised story of David's life, with many of the objec- 
tionable features omitted. The author of Chronicles, in composing 
his books, made use, it is supposed, of a copy or copies of prophetic 
and priestly writings, and was not careful to straighten out the 
points where the two sources were not in harmony, and thus the 
literary critics attempt to explain what they call "contradictions 
in the Bible story." 

4. Getting Back of the Bible. In a word the claim of the literary 
critic is that the Bible, as it stands, does not give us a correct view 
of Israel's history, but rather a description of the past, as it ap- 
peared to a much later age. To get at the actual facts, he says, 
it is necessary "to get back of the Bible." This he thinks possible 
by taking the Bible apart, so to speak, putting into one apartment 
the accounts of what actually did happen, and into another the ac- 
counts of what a later age thought to have happened. 

The Effect of this View of Hebrew Religious History. 

a. It is plainly against the Bible statement itself. 

b. It compels us to "set everything in the Old Testament upon 
its head." First, instead of starting with Moses, Israel's religious 
system as such, as described in the Pentateuch, is practically made 
to start with the Exile many centuries later. Second, instead of be- 
ginning with the Tabernacle, the Temple is made to precede the 
latter in actual point of time. Third, instead of starting with 



48 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

Jehovah, the one true God, Israel's religious history is placed in the 
same class with that of its heathen neighbors. Starting from 
idolatry, as these nations do, only gradually does Israel attain to 
the belief in the only God, Jehovah. 

c. This view emphasizes natural development at the cost of divine 
revelation. To quote Dr. A. S. Zerbe, the view of the literary critic 
"cuts away the foundation of the whole Old Testament religion in 
its historical setting, and builds not on Mosaism, as heretofore, 
but on Judaism of one thousand years later. Everything is re- 
arranged and reconstructed." 
Some Difficulties. 

a. Is There Room for Development in the View of the Mosaic 
Ideal? It would be a great mistake to conclude from the fore- 
going that the History of Hebrew religion conflicted with the 
idea of development. The literary critic is right in his claim that 
Hebrew religion is a development — nothing is plainer than that in 
the Bible. But we claim he is wrong in fixing the date when this 
ideal reached its completion. 

The Bible says, the ideal originated in its completeness with Moses 
in the Wilderness, and that only after centuries of development, in 
the time of the Exile, did it attain its outward realization. The 
literary critic, on the contrary, affirms that there never was such 
a comprehensive original Mosaic ideal, but that the ideal itself had 
a development. Beginning in heathenism, it passed on through 
various stages, and in the course of its history some meagre con- 
tributions were made by Moses. Not until after the Exile did 
the ideal finally dawn on the Jewish leaders in its fullness. This 
ideal is the one we find in the Pentateuch, which they say was 
falsely ascribed to Moses as its author by a later age. 

b. The Question of Authorship. In our first lesson we learned 
what part the writings of men played in the makeup of the Bible. 
Keeping this in mind, we can understand not only how Moses used 
material which came down to him from an earlier age, but also 
how some portions, such as the description of his death for in- 
stance (Deut. 34:6-12), and some minor matters came from the 
pen of other authors at a later date. 

The same thing is true of nearly all the books of the Old Testa- 
ment. While we grant this, it is a great way from admitting that 
authors of a much later date actually first thought out and wrote 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 49 

what is attributed to the time of Moses and the period immediately 
following him. 

c. Some Things Hard to Understand. There are still many 
passages of Scripture "hard to understand." But the study of 
Archaeology has cleared up so many of them in the past that it is 
very unsafe and unwise to declare the utterances of Scripture im- 
possible. The Bible will ever more and more vindicate itself. 
With Dr. Kyle we believe "we must ask a man what he means, 
not tell him." Let us ask the Bible what it means to say, not 
attempt, at this far off date, to tell it what it wants to say. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What question goes to the heart .of the Old Testament con- 

troversy ? 

2. Name the two views as to the history of the Hebrew religion. 

3. What is meant by the Mosaic ideal of Hebrew religion? 

4. What is to be said about the possibility of the Mosaic ideal in 

the time of the wilderness journey? 

5. Show how ideals precede their realization by centuries. 

6. What is meant by the post-exilic ideal of Hebrew religion? 

Give four reasons for this view and define each. 

7. What are three effects of the post-exilic view? 

8. Is there room for development in the Mosaic ideal? Explain. 

9. Show the error underlying the post-exilic view. 

10. State what Dr. Kyle says about the proper attitude to take 
toward the statements of the Bible. 



50 



Outune Studies on the Bibi,e. 



DIAGRAM VIII 




THE HISTORY OF DIVINE REVELATION 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 51 

LESSON IX 

THE CONQUEST AND THE JUDGES 

Time. Joshua and the Judges (approximately 1400-1060 B. C). 
Sources. Joshua, Judges and I and II Samuel. 

The Conquest of Canaan 

Was There a Conquest? Some modern critics say no. at least 
not such an one as is described in the Book of Joshua. They main- 
tain that the Israelites entered Canaan only gradually. Instead of 
attempting to occupy the land unitedly by warfare, tribe after 
tribe, when crowded by their growing numbers, crossed the Jordan 
from the east and possessed themselves of whatever portions of 
the land they could. 

In part this was done by warfare, in part by intermarriage with 
the people of their adopted country and by adapting themselves to 
their customs. Thus, only gradually after several centuries did 
they gain the mastery over the former inhabitants and finally 
dispossess them. 

This view is plainly against the Bible story in Joshua and Judges 
of how Israel came into control of Canaan. The Bible knows only 
a real conquest, resulting from the united action of nearly all of the 
tribes. For such a conquest, too, the time was opportune, since 
Assyria and Egypt were busy in their own lands, and the Canaan- 
ites had deteriorated and were disorganized. At the same time 
Israel had grown into a strong and powerful nation. It is true, 
however, that although the Israelites started out to possess the 
land at once, as they were commanded to do, that the day of final 
triumph was much delayed by the forbidden alliances made with 
the native inhabitants and discord among the tribes. 
Heading Toward the Mosaic Ideal. 

a. The Character of Joshua, as a national leader, is best ex- 
pressed in his challenge to his people, when renewing the covenant 
between them and Jehovah. "Choose you this day whom ye will 
serve — as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," Joshua 
24:15. 

b. The Work of Joshua. As to his relation to the work of Moses, 
we read in Joshua 8 : 35, "There was not a word of all that Moses 
commanded which Joshua did not read before all the congregation 



52 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

of Israel" ; Joshua 8 : 34, "He read all the words of the law, the 
blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the Book 
of the Law." 

Joshua leads the people into Canaan, he divides the land among 
the tribes, he makes war against the inhabitants, in part subdues 
them before the face of Israel, and maintains the religious life of 
the people. We read of high priest, priests, Levites, elders, 
princes, the Tabernacle erected at Shiloh, the Ark of the Covenant 
and sacrifices and feasts. Joshua followed in the footsteps of Moses. 
He, no doubt, advanced the work beyond the stage of development 
possible in the Wilderness. He held before his eyes the ideal of 
Moses and sought to realize it as fully as the time that had ex- 
pired since the death of Moses and the warlike conditions under 
which he lived in Canaan permitted. 

The Tone of the Spiritual Life of the People is best seen in 
such passages as Joshua 24 : 24, "The people said unto Joshua, the 
Lord, our God, will we serve and his voice will we obey," and 24 : 31, 
"And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the 
elders that overlived Joshua and which had known all the works 
of the Lord that he had done for Israel." 

Shortcomings of the Period of Conquest. Although Israel was 
moving in the right direction, still she fell far short of realizing 
the ideal set by Moses. For instance : 

a. They did not drive out the people before them entirely as 
commanded. Joshua 17 : 13, "When the children of Israel were 
waxen strong, they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly 
drive them out." 

b. They fell back into idolatry at times, so that Joshua must 
warn them. Joshua 24 : 23, "Now, therefore, put away, said he, 
the strange gods that are among you and incline your heart unto 
the Lord God of Israel." 

c. Several tribes even sought to establish a centre of worship 
of their own, apart from that of Israel, which attempt Joshua re- 
sisted by threatening war against them. (See Joshua 22: 12.) 

Yet in spite of these shortcomings on the whole, the period of 
the conquest presents a bright picture of religious effort and prog- 
ress. Like all human efforts, it was imperfect, but praiseworthy 
since it was in the direction of progress. 

A Period of Decline After Joshua. When Joshua passes from 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 53 

the scene of action we come face to face with the darkest period 
of Israel's history before the Exile. The punishment was now 
meted out, which had been threatened against her, if, instead of 
driving out the inhabitants of Canaan, the people should enter upon 
terms of friendship with them and intermarry. (See Joshua 23: 13), 
"They shall be snares and traps unto you, . . . and thorns in 
your eyes, etc." Gradually after the death of Joshua the "Dark 
Ages" of Israel's early history set in, known as the Period of 
the Judges. 

The Period of the Judges 
The Spirit of the Times. 

a. The Political Situation. "Every man did that which was right 
in his own eyes," (Judges 17:6, 21:25). It was a period of 
"political disorganization," practically of anarchy. Discord among 
the tribes themselves, and opposition by strong enemies from with- 
out seem to have made a central government impossible. The 
Mosaic ideal of the religious state awaited the process of time and 
the training of strong leaders for its realization. 

b. The Social Situation. In times like those of the Judges we 
cannot but expect to find a low social standard among the people. 
Without the restrictions of government, in the midst of an immoral 
heathen people, we must not be surprised to learn that Israel had 
not yet measured up to its heritage, as outlined in the Law given 
by Moses. Shocking immoralities and crimes, which are abhorrent 
when judged by the standard of our days, were frequent and went 
uncondemned. Theft, murder, falsehood, mob rule, even vice had 
free play. Intermarriage with their heathen neighbors naturally 
exposed Israel to such a low standard of morality. 

On the other hand, there are instances which show that the 
wilderness teaching was asserting itself. Of this the Book of Ruth, 
which belongs to the time of the Judges, is an evidence, also the 
notable case of the popular punishment administered to the vicious 
inhabitants of Gibeah (Judges 20). 

c. The Religious Situation. The state of law and of morals, men- 
tioned above, naturally presuppose a low grade of religion in Israel 
at this time. Already in the wilderness Israel had shown a tend- 
ency to turn away from Jehovah toward idolatry. In Canaan, under 
the influence of idolatrous neighbors, this crime against Jehovah 



54 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

was greatly increased. It was the source of all of her future 
calamities, eventually ending in the destruction of the Ten tribes, 
and the seventy years of captivity of Judah. Idolatry took two 
forms, the one purely Canaanitish, the other an admixture of 
Jehovah and Canaanite worship. 

Special Defects. Contrary to the Law of Moses, private 
families had their own priests and sanctuaries (Judges 17). Promi- 
nent people even had their own household idols. For lack of 
proper religious leadership, which was unavoidable in a state of 
continual warfare and oppression, the culture of religion was greatly 
interfered with, and resulted in much confusion as to the true 
nature of Jehovah and His worship. It resulted in a falling away 
from and a failure to realize the high religious ideal God had 
given his people through Moses in the wilderness. 

How the Judges were Selected. The days of the Judges were 
the colonial days, so to speak, in Israel's history. Everything was 
in a primitive state. Actual courts of law had not yet been 
established. There was no central government. To the right and 
left were bitter enemies. Israel was grievously oppressed. Dur- 
ing this period, from time to time, individuals arose who championed 
the cause of a single tribe or of several tribes. They summoned 
the warriors to battle, gained the victory, and as a result were made 
the temporary rulers of the people whom they had delivered. A 
more appropriate name than judge, therefore, is that of liberator 
or savior. 

The Power of a Judge. Sometimes the power of a judge was 
very limited, being confined to an individual. Sometimes he was 
no more than an arbiter or referee between several parties in a 
dispute; at other times the judge was practically a king, as in the 
case of Gideon. The office was not hereditary. Only in one case 
was this true — that of Abimelech, the son of Gideon — who took the 
place of his father upon the latter's death, setting up for a time 
what in a sense might be called a kingdom (Judges 9). Occasionally 
several judges ruled at the same time in different parts of the land. 
Women, as well as men, held this position. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 55 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. State the two views held concerning the conquest. 

2. Define the character and work of Joshua. 

3. What was the tone of the spiritual life of the people in the 

time of the conquest. 

4. Name three shortcomings of the period. 

5. Describe the period of the Judges from the following points 

of view. 

a. Politically. 

b. Socially. 

c. Religiously. 

6. Name some of the special defects of the period of the Judges. 

7. How were the Judges selected. 

8. What were the powers of the Judges? 



56 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



DTAGPAM IX 




Outline Studies on the Bible. 57 

LESSON X 

THE PERIOD OF THE JUDGES 
(Continued) 

Time. 1400-1060 B. C, approximately. 
Sources. Judges, Ruth, I and II Samuel. 

The Leading Judges and Their Work. This period is well 
described in the following words : "An almost rhythmical alterna- 
tion of idolatry and subjugation, return to Jehovah and liberation." 
In the words of the Bible this reads : "And the children of Israel 
did evil in the sight of the Lord and forgot their God, and served 
Baalim and the groves. Therefore, the anger of the Lord was hot 
against Israel" (Judges 3:7 and 8). "And when the children of 
Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord • raised them up a deliverer." 
The Book of Judges tells of these deliverers, of whom there were 
thirteen. Six especially became prominent. Their names and work 
follow : 

1. Othniel and the Mesopotamian Oppression. For eight years 
Cushanrishathaim, King of Mesopotamia, oppressed the Israelites, 
keeping them in virtual slavery (Judges 3:8). Othniel, brother of 
Caleb, was raised up to throw off this yoke. 

2. Ehud and the Moabite Oppression. In Judges 3 : 12 we read : 
"And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, 
and the Lord strengthened Eglon, King of Moab, against Israel." 
With the Amalekites and Amorites, Eglon conquered the Israelites 
and kept them his subjects for eighteen years. This time Ehud, 
the Benjamite, became the deliverer. He slew Eglon, gathered the 
people of Ephraim about him, seized the fords of the Jordan, and 
cut off 10,000 of the retreating Moabites. As a result, Israel had 
rest from this enemy four score years. 

3. Deborah and the Canaanite Oppression. King Jabin, of 
Canaan, for twenty years, had "mightily oppressed" Israel in the 
north. His strength estimated in chariots was 900. The future 
destiny of God's people depended upon checking this formidable 
foe, which threatened to subjugate and heathenize them. 

This time the deliverer is a woman, Deborah, Israel's Joan of 
Arc. "A mother in Israel." She aroused her people to see the 
threatening danger and summoned Barak to lead Israel's army. 



58 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

Ten thousand strong, from seven tribes, they fought the famous 
battle against Sisera, the leader of the enemies' host. The forces 
met on the historic battlefield of Esdraelon in Galilee. A rain storm 
made Sisera's 900 chariots worse than useless on the soft ground. 
Israel made its onslaught against the foe, pursuing it to its abso- 
lute destruction. 

Sisera died at the hand of Joel, an Israelite woman, who smote 
him with a hammer and pierced through his temples with a tent 
pin. To fall in battle by the hand of woman was the greatest dis- 
grace that could befall a man in antiquity. Deborah has sung the 
story of this oppression and deliverance in her famous poem in 
Judges 5. 

For forty years Israel had rest. But more than that, through 
this combined effort of several of the tribes, all Israel was taught in 
a striking way the necessity of unity and concerted action. In 
this victory lay the beginnings of the kingdom. 

4. Gideon and the Midianite Oppression. Annually, at harvest 
time, swarms of marauders from Midian and other tribes of the 
desert made their inroads, carrying off crops and cattle and laying 
waste everything within reach. They would swoop down suddenly 
upon the land, and as suddenly disappear with their spoil. As far 
as Gaza they went, striking mortal fear into the inhabitants, who 
had to flee to caves and dens for refuge. 

At this time Gideon was raised up as the deliverer. With 300 
picked men, equipped with trumpets, pitchers and torches, he fell 
upon the enemy and their allies by night, surprised them, put them 
to flight and slew them. For this great victory and deliverance his 
kinsman sought to make him king, but Gideon refused the honor, 
preferring the title of judge. (Judges 6, 7 and 8.) 

5. Jephthah and the Ammonite Oppression. The Ammonites were 
a former bitter foe of Israel, when the latter were still in the 
desert. For eight years they had oppressed the tribes on the east 
of Jordan. Jephthah, an outlaw, gathered a body of like minded 
men about him. When challenged to become Israel's deliverer, he 
consented on the condition that they make him their chief in the 
event of victory. Before the struggle Jephthah vowed, that if suc- 
cessful he would sacrifice the first person who would cross the 
threshhold of his house to greet him on his return. This fate be- 
fell his only daugter. (Judges 11 and 12.) 



Outune Studies on the Bible. 59 

6. Samson and the Philistine Oppression. Perhaps the bitterest 
enemies of Israel, in its early history in Canaan, were the Philis- 
tines. Time and again they threatened Israel's annihilation. 

In the days of the Judges, Samson at least annoyed this op- 
pressor, even though he failed to overcome him. Samson ranks as 
Israel's strongest man, physically, but also as one of her weakest, 
morally. Endowed with great gifts he failed to use them aright. 
His folly eventually caused him to fall captive to the Philistines, 
upon thousands of whom he avenged himself at the cost of his own 
life. He judged Israel twenty years. Little permanent good came 
from his long period of activity. (Judges 13-16.) 

Among the judges, in addition to the thirteen mentioned above, 
were Eli and Samuel. These two men, however, were judges in 
the real sense of the word, rather than deliverers. Samuel's great- 
est service consisted in organizing the kingdom. In this capacity 
he will be treated in a later lesson. 

The Significance of the Period. The Israelites, during the 
days of the Judges, learned that united action was necessary, if 
they were to continue as a nation. Their oppression was a blessing 
in disguise, since it kept their faith in Jehovah alive during perilous 
times in a heathen land. Israel realized that a loving God was lead- 
ing them, even in the dismal days which had come upon them. Out 
of the chaos of the period, God was gradually preparing his people 
to see the necessity for order and government, for God and religion. 

A condition of war and lawlessness, contact with an idolatrous 
people, and the short time which had expired since the Law had 
been given by Moses in the wilderness, is sufficient to explain the 
many abuses and departures of the tribes from the Mosaic ideal. 
Obedience to God brings blessing, disobedience suffering. The 
period is estimated to have covered from 200 to 400 years. 



60 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Name the six leading judges. 

2. Describe the work of Othniel. 

3. Tell what you know of Ehud and the Moabite oppression. 

4. What did Deborah accomplish? 

5. Tell about Gideon's work. 

6. Describe the career of Jephthah. 

7. Tell the story of Samson's life. 

8. How many judges were there in all? 

9. What was the significance of this period? 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



61 



DIAGRAM X 

THE JUDGES AND THEIR DELIVERANCES* 





Date B.C. 


The oppression from which they 
delivered the tribes. 


Othniel 


1363-59 


The Mesopotamians. 


Ehud 


1341-34 


Moabites. 


Shamgar 


1334-33 




Deborah 


1313-09 


Canaanites. 


Gideon 


1302-1298 


Midianites. 


Abimilech 


1298-95 




Tolah 


1295-72 




Jair 


1272-50 




Jepthah 


1231-25 


Philistines and Ammonites. 


Ibzan 


1225-18 




Elon 


1218-08 




Abdon 


1208-1200 




Samson 


1180-60 


Philistines. 


Eli 


1160-20 




Samuel 


1120-1081 





According to Auchincloss' "Standard Chronology of the Old Testament.' 



62 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

LESSON XI 

THE UNITED KINGDOM 

Time. 1060-940 B. C. 

Sources. I and II Samuel, I Kings 1-12, I Chronicles 10, II 
Chronicles 9. 

The Need of a Kingdom Felt 

The Kingdom in the Making. The period of the judges points 
to the necessity of establishing a kingdom in Israel, if the nation 
was to continue and carry out its great program, among the nations 
of the world. 

The victory over the Canaanites by Deborah, at the head of sev- 
eral tribes, taught Israel the power of consolidation. On the other 
hand, the deplorable condition of the people, in spite of the many 
brilliant victories of individual tribes under heroic judges, showed 
the utter helplessness of the contest, in the split-up condition in 
which the nation found itself at that time. 

The First Attempt at Founding a Kingdom a Failure. Abi- 
melech, the son of Gideon, actually established himself as king 
at the point of the sword. His treachery against his own family 
(Judges 9) and his narrow conception of the kingdom soon brought 
about his utter defeat. Nevertheless, it was a foreboding of the 
political change that was soon to come. 

Samuel, the Founder of the Kingdom. The great Philistine 
oppression, which threatened the undoing of Israel, was the imme- 
diate cause for the establishment of the kingdom. In this dread 
hour God raised up Samuel as counsellor and indirectly as deliverer. 
He was the last of the judges, at the same time a great prophet. 
Seeing the danger to which his people were exposed, at first he 
opposed their demand for a king. He yielded only when the 
necessity was forced upon him. Perhaps his greatest service to 
Israel was that he fixed the ideal of what Israel's kings ever after 
should be — namely, men who ruled under the authority and in the 
name of Jehovah. 

Saul Chosen King 

The Saul of Earlier Days. Samuel also found the man needed 
for the hour. Saul, the Benjamite, a man with an attractive 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 63 

physique, patriotic, courageous, ceaseless in his efforts to deliver 
his people. A soldier king, enthusiastic and having great magnetic 
power, as seen by his success in gathering the chiefs of Israel 
about him, against Jabesh Gilead and withal a man of strong 
faith in Jehovah and in the mission he was called to perform. 
This was the Saul of earlier days, the man whom Samuel called to 
the kingship by divine direction. But we also have to deal with 
another Saul. 

The Saul of Later Days was a man with a selfish and jealous 
heart. Such a man he became after the spirit of God departed from 
him, because of his disobedience. As glorious as were his victories 
over the enemies of his people in his early days, equally sad were 
his defeats later on in life until his unfortunate death. 

His madness, brought on by doubt in Jehovah, by suspicion of 
his subjects and jealousy against David, lost him his religion, his 
hold on his people and sent him chasing after a supposed rival 
to the throne who was really his friend. All this he did when 
he should have been fighting the foes of Israel, the very purpose 
for which God had called him to hold the high honor of first king 
of Israel. As a consequence, his career closes in confusion with 
the tribes practically as much divided as when he entered upon his 
reign. 

Instead of strengthening his people in their belief in the nation's 
God, on the eve of his death, he consults the Witch of Endor. In- 
stead of delivering Israel from her foes, he dies a suicide on the 
battlefield. Saul's failure, while it seemed in a measure to threaten 
the downfall of the kingdom, was a blessing, even though only in 
a negative way. Saul prepared the way for his great successor. 

King David 

On the ruins of Saul's failures, David built up a kingdom which 
ever after, was looked upon as the Golden Age of Israel's history: 
a kingdom which became the type of that kingdom which David's 
greater Son was to establish in centuries to come. 

Another Claimant to the Throne. After Saul's death, Abner, 
his general-in-chief, placed Saul's son, Ishbosheth, upon the throne, 
in spite of the fact that David had been anointed king by Samuel 
by divine command. The attempt finally failed, after Ishbosheth 
had ruled as a figure-head for seven years, over a part of Saul's 



64 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

former kingdom. This is but one instance of the tribal jealousies 
making the task of uniting Israel, which confronted David, almost 
an impossibility. 

David as King of Judah. David's fellow-tribesmen gladly ac- 
cepted him as king of Judah. His great tact and genial nature won 
him the confidence of the people. He gathered about him a strong 
fighting force, and through his military skill won such victories 
whereby after seven years he convinced the whole nation of his 
ability to be their leader. Consequently the remaining ten tribes 
set aside Ishbosheth in favor of David, whom they made king 
of all Israel. 

David as King of All the Tribes. His first act was to besiege 
and conquer Jebus, the ancient Jerusalem. This, the greatest 
stronghold in the land, he made his capital. With the combined 
strength of the tribes, he overpowered all of his foes, the neighbor- 
ing Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Amorites, Amalekites and 
Syrians, and spread the borders of his kingdom far beyond Canaan 
itself. Within the kingdom he established law and order. 

David's Religious Activity. David is renowned for his great 
piety. Entering upon his reign in Jerusalem, he brought the Ark 
of the Covenant to the city, amid a great public religious demon- 
stration. He re-established Israel's religion along the lines of the 
Mosaic ideal. Obviously, it is impossible to expect that all abuses 
could have been set aside at once. For this, the time was not yet 
ripe. 

David, however, did much to help Israel approach the high ideal 
Moses had left the people. He beautified the worship, appointed 
priests and Levites and prepared the materials for the Temple. 
He realized that religion is the foundation upon which alone a 
nation can endure. In addition to building up the kingdom out- 
wardly and inspiring the nation with confidence in itself, he also 
taught them the necessity of dependence upon Jehovah. Thus to 
David belongs the honor of having established the kingdom ex- 
ternally and internally, politically and religiously. 

David's Weaknesses. Unfortunately, in his later life. David 
bedims this beautiful picture by grievous sins, which were to undo 
much of his excellent work. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 65 

The Kingdom in its Highest Glory 

Solomon Becomes King. For outward splendor and pomp at 
least, the reign of Solomon reaches the highwater mark of the 
kingdom. The enemies were crushed; forty years the land had 
peace and rest; tributary nations and undisturbed labor enriched 
the coffers of the people; peace and prosperity reigned everywhere. 

Solomon in his Earlier Days. Solomon, in the early part of 
his reign, determined to follow in the footsteps of his religious 
father. He chose wisdom and Jehovah as his counsellors. Through 
him the Temple was erected and its service elaborated. The people 
were united for their God and their country. Few kings have 
had such an opportunity as was Solomon's, in the early days of his 
reign. The surrounding lands were impressed with the splendor 
and power of his kingdom. From extreme Arabia came the Queen 
of Sheba to see and to admire the glory of Solomon and his realm. 

Solomon's Later Career. Solomon belonged to the class that 
cannot stand prosperity. Carried away by the love of ease and 
splendor, he sought to set up his kingdom, especially the capitol city, 
Jerusalem, as a rival in beauty and magnificence to the great cities 
of antiquity. He began to build palaces and public buildings to 
such an extent that he oppressed the poor. He added many wives 
from neighboring heathen nations to his harem, who induced him 
to introduce their gods into the Temple. 

The wise young king became a fool with the passing years. Hated 
by men and with his face turned away from God, his kingdom 
was threatened with dismemberment and ruin. 

For a little while the foes within and without were awed by 
Solomon's external power. But weighted down by its own folly 
and sin, his kingdom, soon after his death, was rent in two. 



J Outwne Studies on the Bible. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What factors were instrumental in the making of the kingdom? 

2. Tell what you know of the attempt of Abimilech to establish 

a kingdom. 

3. Describe the part Samuel played in establishing the kingdom. 

4. Describe the career of Saul. 

a. The Saul of earlier days. 

b. The Saul of later days. 

5. In the career of David, tell about 

a. Another claimant to the throne. 

b. As King of Judah. 

c. As King of all the tribes. 

d. His religious activity. 

e. His weakness. 

6. Show how, under Solomon, the kingdom reached its highest 

glory. 

7. Tell what you know of Solomon. 

a. In his earlier days. 

b. His later career. 



DIAGRAM XI 

THE KINGS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 



Saul 1060-1020 B. C. 

David 1020- 980 B. C. 

Solomon 980- 940 B. C. 



Outune Studies on the Bible. 67 

LESSON XII 

THE KINGDOM DIVIDED 

Time. (940) 937 (587) 586 B, C. 

Sources. I Kings 12; II Kings 9; II Chron. 10-22. 

The Time of the Division. Under Rehoboam, Solomon's son, 
the fatal day came for the kingdom. The insolent threat of the 
new king, to increase, in spite of strong protest, the already too 
heavy burden of taxation, placed by his father upon the people, 
caused the latter to revolt and to rend the kingdom in twain. 

Only two of the twelve tribes, those in the South, remained with 
Rehoboam. The other ten, chose as their king Jeroboam, who had 
lately returned from Egypt, whither he had fled to escape the 
jealousy of Solomon. 

From this time on, the two divisions are known in history as the 
Northern Kingdom or the Kingdom of Israel, and the Southern 
Kingdom or the Kingdom of Judah. 

Causes for the Division. 

1. Rehoboam's act, although sufficient in itself to bring about the 
division, was only the last straw that caused the back of a patient 
people to break. Among other contributing causes of the revolt 
may be mentioned: 

2. Ancient Deep-seated Tribal Jealousy, held in check for a brief 
period under David and Solomon. 

3. Judah's Victory over the Tribes in the time of David, by the 
latter's ascent to the throne. 

4. David's great sin cost him his hold upon the nation, and pre- 
pared the way for usurpers, like Absalom, to the throne. 

Results of the Division. The result of the split in the kingdom 
was much more disastrous than the contending parties could have 
expected. Let us see what the effect was : first, politically; second, 
religiously. 

1. The Political Effect of the Division. Internally the situation 
was unfortunate. From now on the nation consisted of two hostile 
forces, ready for warfare at the least provocation. Only once 
during their entire history and then only for a short time, do they 
unite against a common foe. This was in the days of Ahab of 
Israel (875-853 B. C). Israel never succeeded in establishing a 



68 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

permanent government. Judah fared better, partly because it was 
in possession of the former national capital and the Temple. 

Bearing in mind also, that one of the highways of the nations led 
through Palestine, and that this land was one of the coveted prizes 
of Israel's stronger neighbors, we can readily see what effect this 
separation of the nation into hostile camps had upon its political 
history as far as its contact with outside nations is concerned. 

A weak people at best, unable to cope with their foes when 
divided, and warring against one another, they fall an easy prey 
to every enemy. In addition, as one or the other party in the con- 
troversy was hard pressed, they called upon outside help to deliver 
them. In consequence the Syrian, Assyrian and Egyptian were 
introduced into the quarrel and soon proved the undoing of the 
entire nation. 

2. The Religious Effect of the Division. Separation from the 
Temple resulted in the utter contamination of the religious life of 
the Northern Kingdom. Knowing how deep-seated religion was 
in the Jewish heart, and fearing that the longing for the Temple 
would gradually alienate his people from him, Jeroboam introduced 
a new form of religion — an admixture of Jehovah worship and 
heathenism. 

At Bethel and at Dan he erected sanctuaries and placed in them 
images of bulls as objects of worship. The result was that the 
Northern Kingdom was soon steeped in idolatry, from which it 
never recovered* In the Southern Kingdom, although idolatry 
made great inroads, it never became so deeply rooted as in the 
north. Still, contact with the Northern Kingdom, and with the 
heathen nations called in from without to champion their cause, 
eventually undermined the pure religion of Jehovah, even among 
those in possession of the Temple. 

Thus, disobedience to Jehovah, in not keeping aloof from the 
heathen round about, led to idolatry. This in turn undermined faith 
in Jehovah's ability to help, and in the belief that Syria, Assyria 
or Egypt alone could save. Having chosen the help of man instead 
of God, Judah falls into the hand of its supposed helpers, and goes 
into captivity for seventy years, to learn that "Jehovah, He is God, 
and beside Him there is none other." 

* This, of course, does not mean that there were not some who remained 
faithful to Jehovah. In the days of Ahab, Elijah is told that there are still 
7,000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal (I K. 19: 18). But, nevertheless, 
more and more, as time went on, idolatry prevailed. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 69 

1. The First Century of the Divided Kingdom 
(940) 937—842 B. C. 

In Israel, civil war, resulting in political and religious decline, 
marks the first century after the disruption of the kingdom. The 
century reaches its sad climax, when Jehu in 842 B. C, murdered 
both Ahaziah, King of Judah, and Jehoram, King of Israel, suc- 
ceeding the latter to the throne. 

Not one good king is recorded in all of Israel's history. So much 
the more splendid, because of this, appears the record of the prophets 
Elijah and Elisha, who with the rulers and the people against them, 
seek to stem the tide of Baal worship and bring about a return to 
Jehovah. The battle of Elijah with Ahab is one of the most 
heroic events in human history. 

In Judah, Asa and particularly Jehoshaphat stand out nobly, 
against the dark background of their age. By their reforms, they 
checked the idolatrous practices which had crept into Judah, and 
stayed the day of doom, which so early befell Israel. 

For a brief period in the days of Ahab, strife between the two 
kingdoms ceased, a compact was made and the two forces fought 
against their common foe in the north. But this compact was soon 
broken and cost Judah dearly, since through the marriage of Ahab's 
daughter to Jehoram, king of Judah, Baal worship was introduced 
into the Southern Kingdom. 

This first century of the Divided Kingdom, is frequently called 
the Pre-Assyrian period. During this time Syria was the oppressor 
of Israel, having developed considerable power, owing to the fact 
that both Assyria and Egypt were busy with their own affairs at 
home. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What is meant by the division of the Kingdom? 

2. Name some of the causes which led to the division. 

3. What effect did the division have in a political way? 

4. What was the religious effect? 

5. Describe the first century of the division in Israel. 

6. Describe the first century of the division in Judah. 

7. How is this first century of the division frequently char- 

acterized. Why? 



70 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



DIAGRAM XII 



THE KINGS OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM 
Chronologically Arranged 



The Kings of Israel. 


Date B. C. 


The Kings of Judah 




937-920 


Rehoboam 


Jeroboam 


937-915 






920-917 


Abijah 




917-876 


Asa 


Nadab 


915-913 




Baasha 


913-889 




Elah (Zimri 7 days) 


889-887 




Tibni and Omri 


j 887-875 




Omri, alone 




Ahab 


875-853 






876-851 


Jehoshaphat 


Ahaziah 


853-851 




Joram 


851-842 






851-843 


Joram 




843-842 


Ahaziah 


Jehu 


842-814 






J 842-836 
1 836-796 


Athaliah (Queen) 




Joash 


Jehoahaz 


814-797 




Jehoash 


797-781 






796-782 


Amaziah 




782-737 


S Uzziah (or Azariah) 
\ Jotham Co-regent 




Jeroboam II 


781-740 




Zachariah and Shallum 


740-737 




Menahem 


737-735 




Pekaiah 


735-733 






737-725 


Ahaz 




(715) 




Pekah 


733-722 




Hoshea 


722-721 






S 725-696 


Hezekiah 




1 (715) 






696-641 


Manasseh 




641-639 


Amon 




639-609 


( Josiah 
\ Jehoahaz 




609-598 


Jehoiakim 




598-586 


J Jehoiachin 
X Zedekiah 




(587) 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 71 

LESSON XIII 

THE KINGDOM DIVIDED 

(Continued) 

Time. (940) 937— (587) 586 B. C. 
Sources. II Kings 9-25; II Chron. 23-36. 

2. The Second Century of the Division (832-740 B. C.) 

Historical Settings. This century is called the beginning of the 
Assyrian period of Hebrew history. Assyria now regains sufficient 
strength to check the threatening power of Syria. 

In Israel. Jehu, the mighty and blood-thirsty warrior, is compelled 
to pay tribute to Assyria. From this time on, Assyria never re- 
linquishes her hold upon the Northern Kingdom. 

The reign of Jeroboam II is the most brilliant in all the history 
of the Northern Kingdom. In the north Jeroboam again extended 
his borders to the limits reached in the days of David and Solomon. 
In the south they reached the Dead Sea. Yet, this very outward 
prosperity was the seed of Israel's destruction. Amos and Hosea 
picture the corrupt character of the ruling class — namely, the 
oppression of the poor and the immorality of their idolatrous wor- 
ship, which speedily led to Israel's downfall. 

"After Jeroboam II the story of Israel's kings is only a history 
of murder and profligates." 

In Judah. The Second Century of the Divided Kingdom was one 
of prosperity also for Judah. The darkest spots were the bloody 
acts of Athaliah, who slew all her grandsons, excepting Joash, to 
secure the throne. During the beginning of his reign Joash stands 
out as a religious reformer, who repaired the Temple and purified 
the worship from the idolatry, which had crept in. In the later 
portion he again falls a prey to gross idolatry. Under Uzziah, 
Isaiah enters upon his life work. 

3. The Third Century of the Divided Kingdom and After 
740— (587) 586 B. C. 

In Israel. Fearing the growing power of Assyria, Israel unites 
with her former enemy Syria, to crush their common foe Assyria. 
In reply to this challenge, Assyria rings the death-knell over the 
Northern Kingdom. 



72 Outline; Studies on the Bible. 

Leading Events. 1. The Syro-Ephraimitic War. King Pekah of 
Israel and Rezin of Damascus (Syria), in order to fortify them- 
selves, as strongly as possible against Assyria, invite Ahaz of Judah 
to join in their confederacy. The refusal of Ahaz to comply, brings 
on the Syro-Ephraimitic war. Pehak and Rezin besiege Jerusalem, 
Ahaz appeals to Assyria for help, against the protest of Isaiah. 
As a result Tiglath-pileser laid siege to Damascus in 732 B. C. 
captured it, and took away a large part of Israel's territory. Thus, 
the confederacy against Assyria ended in utter failure. 

2. The Downfall of Samaria. (722-21 B. C). Hoshea, the last 
king of the Northern Kingdom, finally tired of paying the heavy 
tribute to Assyria. Encouraged to do so by the Egyptians, he at- 
tempted to throw off the Assyrian yoke. This led Shalmaneser IV 
to advance against Samaria, the capital, and besiege it for three 
years. Shalmaneser died before the victory was complete. Sargon, 
his successor, then finished the work and carried away the people to 
Assyria into captivity. With the fall of Samaria, the Northern 
Kingdom ceases its existence forever. 

Judah in the Third Century of the Division. The leading events 
are as follows : 

1. The Syro-Ephraimite war mentioned above. 

2. The Invasion of Sennacherib (701 B. C.) During the reign of 
Hezekiah, Sennacherib of Assyria came and besieged Jerusalem with 
a great host, after laying low forty-six strong cities of Judah and 
taking their inhabitants captive. Undaunted, Isaiah correctly fore- 
told the release of the city, and the failure of the enemies' plans. 
Consequently, Judah once more escaped destruction. 

From 640 B. C. to the End of the Southern Kingdom 

1. Josiah, the Reformer. Josiah with Jehoshaphat, Joash and 
Hezekiah are known as the pious kings and reformers of Judah. 
Among them the work of Josiah is perhaps the most noteworthy. 
The chief event of his reign is the finding of the Law-book in the 
Temple. After learning its contents, and comparing with it the 
state of religion in his realm, he at once set about to make it con- 
form to the instructions of the book, which he considered as coming 
from Moses. Jeremiah, the prophet, was active in the days of 
Josiah. For forty years he called the people to repentance, and 
foretold the doom of the nation. The last five kings of Judah were 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 73 

his contemporaries. 

Now the hour of doom for Assyria also, had struck. Suddenly 
her great glory had come to an end. Nineveh, the capital, fell in 
606 B. C. Judah, from now on, has to deal with Assyria's con- 
querors, the Babylonians. 

Jehoiakim, King of Judah, for a while, faithfully paid tribute 
to Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Then he became disloyal, and called 
upon Egypt to help him maintain his independence. Soon after, 
Jehoiakim died and was succeeded by his young son, Jehoiachin. 
After a short reign of three months, Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B. C. 
besieged Jerusalem and carried Jehoiachin and his court to Babylon. 

Zedekiah succeeds Jehoiachin. Contrary to the advice of the 
prophet Jeremiah, he joins a confederacy of neighboring princes 
in league with Egypt against Nebuchadnezzar. In 586 B. C. Nebu- 
chadnezzar laid siege to Jerusalem, destroyed it and the Temple, 
blinded the king and led him and the inhabitants away to Babylon 
into captivity, along with the plunder from the Temple. This is 
the period known as the seventy years captivity, dated from 605 to 
535 B. C. The Temple also lay in ruins for seventy years, from 
586 to 516 B. C. 

Brief Summary of the History of the Northern Kingdom 
937—722 (721) B. C. 

The Northern Kingdom lasted but a little over 200 years. Like 
Jeroboam I, almost all of its nineteen kings were usurpers. In this 
brief period there were nine dynasties, following one another in 
rapid succession, in consequence of violence and murder. Of its 
nineteen kings, eight were murdered and one was a suicide. 

Brief Summary of the History of the Southern Kingdom 
937— (587) 586 B. C. 

The Kingdom of Judah continued about 150 years after the 
destruction of the Northern Kingdom, or 351 years in all. It, too, 
had nineteen kings, but only one dynasty, that of the House of 
David. Jerusalem was its one capital. The reigns of its kings were 
much longer on the average, and followed one another, as a rule, in 
peaceful succession. 

The sad story of the Divided Kingdom demonstrates the folly of 
disobedience to God and consequent punishment. 



74 Outune Studies on the Bibi,e. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What name is given to the second century of the division and 

why? 

2. What was the condition of affairs in Israel during this period? 

3. In Judah during the same time? 

4. What was the political situation in the Northern Kingdom in 

the third century of the division? 

5. Name the two leading events and define them. 

6. Name the two leading events in Judah during this period. 

7. Sketch briefly the history of Judah, from 640 B. C. to the time 

of the captivity. 

8. Give a brief summary of the history of Northern Kingdom. 

9. Of the Southern Kingdom. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



75 



DIAGRAM XIII 

THE KINGS OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM, ACCORDING 
TO DYNASTIES 



9 Dynasties Kings of Israel 



1— 
2— 

3— 



5— 

6— 

7— 



( Jeroboam 
I Nadab 

( Baasha 
lElah 

f Zimri 

-j Tibni and Omri 

[ Omri (alone) 

fAhab 

Ahaziah 

Joram 

Jehu 
[ Jehoahaz 

{Tehoash 
Jeroboam II 
Zachariah 

Shallum 

( Menahem 
( Pekaiah 

Pekah 

Hoshea 



Kings of Judah 1 Dynasty 



Rehoboam 

Abijah 

Asa 

Jehoshaphat 

Jehoram 

Ahaziah 

Athaliah, queen 

Joash 

Amaziah 

Uzziah 

Jotham 

Ahaz 

Hezekiah 

Manasseh 

Amon 

Josiah 

Jehoahaz 

Jehoiakim 

Jehoiachin 

Zedekiah 



The 

House of 

David 



76 Outwne Studies on the Bibi,e. 

LESSON XIV 

THE CAPTIVITY 

Time. 605, 597 (587) 586—536 B. C. 

Sources. II Kings 17, II Kings 23 : 31 to 25 : 30, Is. 28 : 1-6, 49 : 14- 
26; Jer. 29:1-14, Jer. 52. 

Conditions at Home. With the fall of Jerusalem the national 
glory of Israel comes to an end. The flower of the nation is in 
captivity. Those who could escape, fled to Egypt and other retreats. 
Only the less ambitious and worthless elements of the population 
remain. In the north the native population of Samaria had lost its 
identity by intermarriage with the colonists, whom the Assyrians 
had placed there 150 years before, after the fall of Samaria. 

Thus Palestine had passed, for the time being, out of the possession 
of God's chosen people. The words of the Prophets had come 
true. The desolation was complete. 

The Ten Tribes. What finally became of the Ten Tribes, 
after they were led away into captivity, is not known. In II Kings 
15 : 29 and 18 : 11 we are told that they were carried away to Assyria 
and the cities of the Medes. It has been customary to speak of them 
as "The Lost Ten Tribes." This is perhaps a mistake. For al- 
though they were more irreligious than Judah, and more scattered 
in the land of their captivity, still we must not forget that there 
were some who remained true to Jehovah. 

Later when Cyrus had brought Assyria and Babylonia under one 
government, it is not at all improbable that representatives of the 
Ten Tribes, as well as those of Judah, returned to Jerusalem, when 
the opportunity to do so came. In fact, Nehemiah 7 : 7 gives the 
names of the twelve chiefs, who stood at the head of the returned 
captives, indicating thereby that the nation was complete and once 
more united. The captivity had taught the Ten Tribes the folly of 
strife and separation, and that the very life of the nation depended 
upon peace and unity. 

The Two Tribes. Of the fate of the two tribes during cap- 
tivity, now generally known as Judah, we are better informed. 

a. Location. In 605, 597 and finally in 586 B. C. the Babylonians 
(Chaldeans) came and carried away the bulk of the population. 
Some settled along the water courses of the Province of Babylon. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 77 

Others found homes in the city of Babylon itself. Ezek. 17:4, 5 
"A land of traffic — a city of merchants — a fruitful field — by great 
waters." 

b. Condition of the Exiles. A twofold account is given of the 
fate of the Exiles in the Books of the Prophets. The one says 
that the Exiles had liberty and lived unmolested ; the other that they 
had to endure "hard service." These two accounts are readily 
harmonized when we distinguish between the captives taken earlier 
and those later. The first installments taken in 605 B. C. and 597 
B. C. received mild treatment. The greater and repeated offenses 
of those carried away later on, caused the Babylonians to apply more 
severe measures. 

Again we must remember that the false prophets had stirred 
up vain hopes among the captives, which led them to revolt with 
disastrous results. Finally, when the captives became reconciled to 
their fate, all oppression ceased. These facts will help us to under- 
stand the various statements found in the Scriptures, on this subject. 

Even without oppression their lot was hard enough to bear. 
Everything seemed lost, their land, property and religion. (The 
137th Psalm tells of the great home sickness of the Exiles.) Though 
their lot was sad, nevertheless, in this land of traders, Israel had 
opportunities to amass wealth, in a way utterly impossible in their 
native land. 

Daniel and Nehemiah are instances of how the new land offered 
opportunities for advancement and prominence, even including im- 
portant government positions. The captive king, Jehoiachin, for 
instance, after thirty-seven years of captivity in Babylon, was hon- 
ored with a place at the king's table, II Kings 25 : 27-30. 

c. How Governed. The Exiles practically formed a Jewish state. 
How widely they were scattered we do not know, but that they 
were a political unit is quite certain. It seems they were allowed 
to rule themselves according to Jewish law, and that they were per- 
mitted to retain their own princes in power. Elders represented 
the people as formerly, Jer. 29 : 1, Ezek. 14 : 1. 

d. Occupations. Jeremiah tells the captives to take advantage of 
the opportunity to build houses and to plant gardens. Family life 
was undisturbed. Neh. 3 : 8 tells of goldsmiths and apothecaries. 
During the Exile the Jews became a nation of traders — until then, 



78 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

an undeveloped art. It is not unlikely that most of the people were 
employed as laborers on the great building operations of the 
Babylonians. 

e. Literary Activity. The Babylonians were a people of culture. 
Official records of their history go back to a very remote past. Being 
a commercial people, exact records became a necessity. Rulers were 
anxious to leave to posterity records of their deeds in permanent 
form. Business contracts were witnessed by priests. Hosts of 
priests thus acted as scribes for rulers and merchants. The Library 
of Ashurbanipal, with its thousands of records, is a strong testi- 
monial of the literary character of the age. 

Under such surroundings the Exiles naturally acquired the literary 
habit. Removed from the Temple, their former religious observ- 
ances became an impossibility. Hence, they felt the necessity of 
preserving the records of their past history in written form. It 
was, as a result of this, that a goodly portion of the Scriptures came 
into being during the time of the Exile. During the captivity, too, 
the Aramaic, erroneously called Chaldee, became the spoken and 
written language of the Hebrews. 

f. Religious Conditions. The pious Jew, by nature intensely re- 
ligious, cut off from the Temple and the outer forms of worship, 
sought new modes to express his religious life. He still felt the 
need of Jehovah and longed for Him. Consequently he erected a 
new temple in his own heart, and devoted himself to the spiritual 
side of his religion, through prayer and the study of the Word. 
This he did, not only individually, but in groups. From this custom 
sprang the synagogue. The Prophets were the great religious 
leaders and instructors during the Exile. 

Perils of the Captivity. Opportunity for amassing wealth was 
a great danger, and actually kept many from returning to Jerusalem 
to rebuild the religion of their fathers. Doubt, welled up in many 
a heart, at the thought that Jehovah had permitted the Temple to 
be destroyed by the heathen, and His chosen people to be carried 
away from the promised land into captivity. This doubt, in some, 
gave way to rebellion against God, and this, in some cases, to utter 
unbelief. 

Wholesome Effect of the Captivity. Historians consider the 
captivity one of the most important periods of Jewish history. 

Some of the results are as follows: 



Outline Studies on the Bibu;. 79 

1. It unified the people as never before. 

2. Idolatry, seen in all of its horribleness in its natural state in 
heathen lands, disappeared in Israel forever. 

3. The spiritual side of Israel's religion was greatly developed. 

4. Jehovah became known, not only in His relation to the Jewish 
nation, but also to the individual. 

5. The Jew learned that Jehovah was neither bound to the Holy 
Land nor to the Temple. 

6. The idea of Israel, as a world-wide missionary nation, de- 
veloped during the captivity. 

7. The Exile was a sifting process, which tested the loyal Israelite. 

8. The utter helplessness of Israel, without Jehovah, was recog- 
nized. 

9. The Prophets were again respected. 

10. The need of a deliverer or Messiah was keenly felt. The 
Messianic hope and ideal was more strongly developed than ever 
before. 

11. All in all, it was a period of new religious ideals and the 
deepening of the spiritual life. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What were the conditions in the home land after the fall of 

Jerusalem ? 

2. What was the probable fate of the Ten Tribes? 

3. Where were the Two Tribes located in Babylon? 

4. What was their condition in captivity? 

5. How were they governed? 

6. How were they employed? 

7. Describe the literary activity of this period. 

8. What were the religious conditions? 

9. Mention some of the perils of the captivity. 

10. Mention six ways or more in which the captivity had a whole- 
some effect on the Israelites. 



80 Outwne Studies on the Bible. 

DIAGRAM XIV 

TESTIMONY FROM THE MONUMENTS DURING THE 
TIME OF THE CAPTIVITY 



The Northern Kingdom. 

An Assyrian inscription referring to Azariah (Uzziah), of 
Judah, 782-737 B. C. 

"Nineteen districts of the city of Hamath, together with 
the towns of their environs along the coast of the sea of 
the setting sun, who in sin and wickedness, they (the peo- 
ple) took up for Azrijau (Azariah), to the boundary of 
Assyria I added. My commander-in-chief as governor I 
(Tiglath Pileser) set over them." 

Assyrian inscriptions referring to Rezin, Pekah and Hoshea, 
the last king of the Northern Kingdom. 

" * * * Like a hind * * * he entered the great 
gate of the city. His chiefs alive with my hands I took, and 
upon stakes I caused them to be raised up, and made them a 
show for this land * * * 45 camps * * * I collected, 
and shut him up like a bird in a cage. His plantations 

* * * which were innumerable I cut down, and did not 
leave one * * * Hadara, the house of the father of Rezin 
of Damascus, in which he was born, I besieged, etc." 

" * * .* the city of Gal(ed) (Gilead?) * * * the 
city of Abilakka (Abelbeth-maachah?) which is of the boun- 
dary of the land of Beth-Omri (Israel) * * * the broad, 
in its entire extent, to the territory of Assyria I annexed; 
my commander-in-chief as prefect I appointed over them. 
Hanunu (Hanno) of Gaza, who fled before my arms, es- 
caped to the land of Egypt. Gaza I captured; its possessions, 
its treasures, its gods I carried away * * * and the image 
of my royalty I erected. * * * Beth-Omri (Israel) * * 

* the whole of its inhabitants its possessions to Assyria I 
deported. Pekah, their king, they smote. Ausi (Hoshea) 
as king, over them I appointed. Ten talents of gold, 1,000 
talents of silver, together with their presents, I received from 
them." 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 81 



An Assyrian inscription of Sargon (j 22-705 B. C), in ref- 
erence to the Captivity of Israel — The Fall of Samaria. 

"From the beginning of my sovereignty, until the 15th year 
of my reign Humbanigash, the Elamite of the city Der, I ac- 
complished his defeat. Samerina (Samaria) I besieged, I 
captured. 27,290 people, dwelling in it I carried away. 50 
chariots I collected from them and the rest (of the people) 
I allowed to retain their possessions. My commander-in- 
chief I placed over them, and the tribute of the former king 
I placed upon them. Hanno, king of Gaza, (and) Sibe, the 
tartan of Egypt, advanced against me in Rapikhi (Rapkia) 
to make war and battle. I accomplished their defeat. Sibe 
feared the sound of my arms and fled, and his place was 
not found. Hanno, the king of Gaza, I took with my hand. 
The tribute of Piru, king of Egypt, Samse, queen of Aribi 
(Arabia), It' amara of Saba'ai (Sabeans), gold product of the 
mountain, horses (and) camels I received." 

The Southern Kingdom 

An Assyrian inscription referring to Senacherib and Heze- 
kiah. 

"As regards Hezekiah, the Judean, who did not submit to 
my yoke, forty-six of his mighty cities, strong-holds, together 
with innumerable small places of their environs, by the bat- 
tering of rams and the assault of the siege engines, * * * 
I besieged, I conquered, 200,150 people, small and large, male 
and female, horses, mules, asses, camels, oxen and sheep 
without number, from their midst I carried out and reckoned 
as booty. Himself (that is, Hezekiah), like a bird in a cage 
in Jerusalem, his royal city, I penned him. Trenches against 
him I threw up, and those coming from the gate of their city 
I forcibly turned back. His cities which I had sacked, I cut 
off from the country, and I gave them to Mitinti of Ashdod, 
Padi, king of Ekron and Tsil-Baal, king of Gaza, thus re- 
ducing his territory. In addition to the former tax, to pay 
yearly, I added a tribute of subjection to my royalty, I 
placed upon them. Himself, Hezekiah, the fear of the splen- 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



dor of my lordship overwhelmed him. The courage of the 
Arabians and his faithful soldiers whom he had brought in 
for the defense of Jerusalem, his royal city, failed. Together 
with 30 talents of gold and 800 talents of silver, precious 
stones, * * * his daughters, women of his palace, * * * 
to Nineveh, my royal city, I caused to be brought after me ; 
he sent his ambassador to offer tribute and perform homage. 

An inscription of Cyrus. 

"He (Marduk) searched for an upright prince, the desire 
of (his) heart, whom he took by his hand, Cyrus, king of 
Anshan, he called his name; for the kingship of the whole 
world he proclaimed his name. Marduk, the great lord, the 
protector of his people, beheld joyfully (his) deeds of piety 
and his upright heart. His march to his city of Babylon he 
commanded ; he caused him to take the road to Babylon ; like 
a friend and comrade he walked by his side. His wide ex- 
tended troops whose numbers were like the waters of a 
river, could not be known, with their weapons girded on, 
marched beside him. Without a fight or a battle he made 
him enter Babylon. I am Cyrus, the king of the world, the 
great king, the mighty king. * * * The yoke which was 
not honorable, was removed (?), I quietly relieved their 
sighing, I soothed their sorrow. Marduk, the great lord, 
rejoiced over my deed of piety, and inclined graciously. To 
me Cyrus, the king who worshipped him and Cambyses the 
son, the going forth of my heart and all my troops and 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 83 

LESSON XV 
THE RETURN FROM CAPTIVITY 
Time. 536 B. C. 

Sources. Ezra., Neh. 1, 2, 4-6, 8 and 13 ; Is. 60 and 62 ; Ezek. 1-10, 
36 and 47. 

Longings for Home. Jeremiah had foretold seventy years of 
captivity, followed by a return home. Other Prophets assured the 
people that God had not forsaken them utterly. Isaiah mentions 
the young world conquering Cyrus as the divinely appointed deliv- 
erer of God's people. Hence the pious in Israel were on the tip-toe 
of expectancy, when late in 538 B. C. Cyrus finally entered Babylon 
as its new ruler, and sent out the decree during his first year, pro- 
viding for the return of the Jews to their home-land (Ezra 6:3-5). 

The Work of Zenibabel. 

1. The Return Home, 536-516 B. C. After a period of preparation 
in 536 B. C. Zerubabel, accompanied by Joshua the priest, set out for 
Palestine at the head of a great host, Ezra 2 : 64-68. After a tedious 
journey of feur months the Exiles, amidst great rejoicing, returned 
and occupied Jerusalem and the neighboring country. 

2. Attempts at Rebuilding the Temple. Their first act was to 
erect the great altar on its former site, and to observe the Feast of 
Tabernacles. The next year they began to lay the foundations of 
the Temple, Ez. 3:4. 

3. Samaritan Interference. Their neighbors, the Samaritans, were 
a mixed race of Jews and heathen colonists, brought into Samaria 
by Assyria when the latter carried off the Ten Tribes. These 
people claimed to be Jews and wanted a share in the rebuilding of 
the Temple, and the restoration of the nation. The Exiles denied 
their claim and refused their help. As a result, they antagonized 
the new comers, misrepresented them at the court of Persia as 
traitors and succeeded in stopping the work. 

4. A Halt in the Work. Discouraged, the people became demoral- 
ized and were soon engrossed in their own affairs. For sixteen years 
the walls stood unfinished, until the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, 
stirred the people to action again. An appeal was sent to Darius, 
the new king of Persia, calling his attention to the decree of Cyrus, 
which permitted them to build the Temple. After four and one-half 



84 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

years, in 516 B. C, what is known as Zerubabel's Temple, was dedi- 
cated and the service and priesthood fully restored. 
Ezra and His Work. 

1. Conditions in Jerusalem. (458-446 B. C.) From 516 B. C. 
until 458 B. C, when Ezra comes upon the scene, nothing is known 
as to conditions in Jerusalem. Judging from the work of Ezra we 
may conclude, however, that lacking leadership within and oppressed 
by the Samaritans without, with constant complaints sent to Babylon 
against them, another period of discouragement and religious de- 
cline followed. 

The Book of Esther, which deals with this period, tells us what 
was going on among the Jews who remained in Babylon. 

2. Bzra and the Second Group of Returning Captives. Ezra, a 
priest and scribe, saddened by these conditions, secured permission 
from Artaxerxes (king of Persia) to go up to Jerusalem to inaugu- 
rate a reform. At the head of a large band of priests (160), Levites 
(38) and Nethinims (Temple assistants, 220) he went up to Jer- 
usalem in 458 B. C, bearing with him large treasures to carry out 
the proposed work. 

3. Ezra and the Law. His chief aim was to restore the law, and 
see that it was executed. Especially did he oppose and seek to set 
aside the mixed marriages between the Jews and Samaritans. These 
seem to have become prevalent among all ranks of the people, not 
excluding the priests. 

4. Ezra's Work Interrupted. At first the people seemed to yield 
to his earnest appeals and rebukes. Later a bitter opposition to 
him was stirred up by those whose families were thus threatened 
with disruption. An appeal is sent to Artaxerxes, the foes break 
down the walls, and Ezra, after twelve years of heroic effort, is 
forced into retirement, when another period of great depression 
sets in. (Ezra 4:6, 23 and 24.) 

Nehemiah and His Work (445-432 B. C). 

1. Nehemiah and the Third Group of Returning Captives. When 
Nehemiah, cup bearer of King Artaxerxes, heard at Shushan that 
"the remnant are in great affliction and reproach, the wall of Jer- 
usalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burned with 
fire" (Neh. 1:3), he was moved with compassion for his people, 
and fired with zeal for the religion of Jehovah. Securing a leave 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 85 

of absence from the king, he set out for Jerusalem at the head of a 
large following to go to the relief of his people. 

2. Opposition at Jerusalem and Success. In every possible way the 
old foes in and about Jerusalem sought to annul his efforts. Still 
he persevered, overcame every obstacle, succeeded in arousing the 
enthusiasm of his brethren, and in fifty-two days completed the 
walls of the city. To Nehemiah belongs the credit of "the establish- 
ment and consolidation of the Jewish community." 

3. Nehemiah and Ezra. At this point Ezra again comes upon 
the scene, and finishes his work. In 444 B. C, probably immediately 
after the completion of the walls, the people gather together and 
call upon Ezra to read the Law of Moses before them. (Neh. 8.) 
So great was the revival of religious life among the people that a 
great Old Testament authority says : "The 24th of October, 444 B. 
C, is the real birthday of Judaism, one of the most important days 
in the history of humanity." — Cornill. 

By his external reforms, Nehemiah, as governor, had prepared the 
way for the more spiritual work of the priest, Ezra. Together they 
accomplished the great work of restoring the national and religious 
life of Israel. 

4. Nehemiah Returns Home. In 433 B. C. Nehemiah's leave of 
absence expired and he returned home. Immediately the old abuses 
set in, since the young government was not strong enough to stand 
alone. Nehemiah returns and resorts to most radical measures 
of reform (Neh. 13:23-31), which prove permanent. Ezra and Ne- 
hemiah disappear from Old Testament history in 432 B. C* 

A Return to Moses. The Captivity and especially the return 
home, marks a new epoch in the history of the Israelites. The 
epoch is characterized by a decided determination to return to Moses 
and to realize the religious ideal he was divinely appointed to formu- 
late and set up before his people. Israel had learned by bitter 
experiences that only too often had she turned away and too long 
lost sight of this ideal. This epoch is also characterized by the fact 
that from now on the Israelites are called Jews. 

From this time on the Law is the divinely recognized authority, 
Jerusalem in reality becomes the central place of worship, the priest- 

* Note. — As a result of the opposition of the Jews to the Samaritans, the 
latter now erected their own Temple at Gerizim, and the Samaritan Pentateuch 
came into existence (432 B. C). 



86 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

hood is recognized and reinstated, the sacraments are offered accord- 
ing to the requirements of the law, the feast days are observed and 
the instructions of the Law are executed in their minuteness. 

In fact, this period marks the beginning of the false emphasis 
later on placed upon the Law, which magnifies the letter at the cost 
of the spirit. That movement which resulted in Pharisaism so 
bitterly attacked by Christ in His day. 

Literary Activity After the Exile. During the Exile the He- 
brews became a literary people. Not that they had not practiced 
writing before, but literary habits now became general among the 
people. After the Exile large portions of the Scriptures came into 
being. Here may be placed, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, some of 
the Prophets, many psalms, very large portions of the poetical books. 
In all probability, too, the Pentateuch received its final revision 
after the Exile, but the character of the work done upon it, was 
rather that of editing than original writing. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Tell what you know about the longings for home near the 

end of the captivity. 

2. Name the three leading reformers after the captivity. 

3. Describe the work of Zerubabel. 

4. Give an account of the career of Ezra. 

5. Describe the work of Nehemiah. 

6. Tell what is meant by "A Return to Moses." 

7. Describe the literary activity of the period after the captivity. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



87 



DIAGRAM XV 

THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 



Arrangement in Hebrew 
Bible 

I. The Law (5 books) 

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, 

Numbers, Deuteronomy. 

II. The Prophets 
(8 books) 

1. The Former Prophets 
or the First Volume of the 
Prophets (4 books). Josh- 
ua, Judges, Samuel, Kings. 

2. The Later Prophets, 
or the Second Volume of 
the Prophets (4 books). 
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, 
The Twelve (our Minor 
Prophets, then considered 
one book). 

III. Writings (11 books) 

Commonly called Hogio- 
grapha — that is, sacred writ- 
ings. Ruth, Psalms, Job, 
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song 
o f Songs, Lamentations, 
Daniel, Esther, Ezra, 
Chronicles. 
*Total, 24 books. 



Arrangement in English 
Bible 

I. The Law (5 books) 
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, 

Numbers, Deuteronomy. 

II. History (12 books) 
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 

Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 
2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 
Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, 
Esther. 

III. Poetry (5 books) 
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, 

Ecclesiastes, Song of Solo- 
mon. 

IV. Prophecy (17 books) 

1. Major Prophets (5 
books). Isaiah, Jeremiah, 
Lamentations, Ezekiel, Dan- 
iel. 

2. Minor Prophets (12 
books). Hosea, Joel, Amos, 
Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Na- 
hum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, 
Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. 

Total, 39 books. 



* The difference in number between the arrangement in the Hebrew and 
English Bible is due to the fact that books which are now counted as separate 
books, were formerly grouped together into one volume. For example, the 
two books of Samuel, Kings and Chronicles were counted as one book each. 
Ezra included Nehemiah. 



88 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

LESSON XVI 
EARLY PROPHECY 

Time. 1500-850 B. C. 

Sources. Ex. 7:1; Ex. 4:16; Amos 3:7, 8; I Sam. 9:6; I K. 
12:22; Jer. 35:4; II K. 9:7; I K. 14:18, 18:36; II 
Sam. 12: Iff; II Sam. 24: llff ; I K. l:llff; I K. 
ll:29ff; I K. 12:22ff; I K. 17:1-24; I K. 18:1-30, 
32b-46 ; I K. 19 : 1-21 ; I K. 21 : 1-20, 23, 27. 

What is Prophecy? Contrary to the opinion commonly held, 
prophecy does not mean simply to "foretell" coming events, but to 
"tell-forth" what has already been revealed to man from God. This 
telling forth includes, among other things, telling future events 
before they happen, as the Prophets did in some cases. But this is 
only a minor part of the Prophets' work. To make known God's 
will to his day and generation, this was his chief task. 

Prophecy Unrestricted. The Hebrew prophet stands in a place 
all by himself, because of the peculiar divine message which he 
received and proclaimed. Although this is true, nevertheless prop- 
hecy is neither restricted to any nation nor to any period of time. 
It extends back to an age antedating the Hebrew nation, and in one 
sense, on beyond it, to our own day and all future time. 

So, for example, at the dawn of human history, among the first 
recorded revelations of God to man and the creatures he had made, 
is recorded a prophecy of redemption. Continuing this, the Bible 
gives us the unbroken record of the Prophets whom God raised up, 
from time to time, to make His ways known to men. Down through 
the ages until our own day God has called specially endowed men 
to proclaim His message. These, too, are prophets, naturally in a 
somewhat different sense from the Biblical Prophets, but Prophets 
of God on the same errand, none the less. 

Classification of Hebrew Prophecy. Hebrew prophecy has a 
history of development. Between the earlier records of it, and 
Isaiah for example, there is a vast difference as to form. Hence, 
it is customary to speak of prophecy under the two following heads : 
First, Early prophecy, and, second, Later prophecy. 

The chief differences between the two is (a) That Early prophecy 
was of a more crude, material character, while Later prophecy was 
almost exclusively spiritual. Subsequent paragraphs will explain 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 89 

more clearly what we mean by this distinction, (b) The later 
Prophets left written records bearing their names, while early 
Prophets, excepting Moses, did not. The account of their work we 
find incorporated in the early historical books of the Bible. 

Date of Early Prophecy. Since the history of the Hebrews, 
as a nation, begins with the work of Moses, we place him at the 
beginning of this period, and Elijah and Elisha, who preceded Amos, 
the earliest Prophet (excepting Moses), of whom we have a written 
record, at the end. 

Characteristics of Early Prophecy. Crudeness is the best term 
to apply to prophecy in its earlier forms. We saw the close con- 
nection which existed between the Hebrews and their heathen neigh- 
bors. We must not be surprised, therefore, to find certain similari- 
ties between them, not only in secular matters, but also to a certain 
extent in religion. Nor was Hebrew prophecy exempt from this 
rule. This crudeness of early prophecy manifests itself chiefly in 
the following ways: 

1. The Mental State of the Prophets. A state of ecstasy, or re- 
ligious excitement, often resulting in unconsciousness, seems to have 
been considered the most favorable condition for receiving the 
divine message in those early days. I Sam. 19 : 20-24. Music, in 
the form of singing with instrumental accompaniment, was used to 
bring on this ecstatic condition. I Sam. 10:5; II Kings 3:13-15. 
Undoubtedly this was done with the desire that God might have full 
possession of the mind. 

2. The Use of Signs. Like all nations of antiquity, the Hebrew 
wanted visible signs of the deity. It would seem that God, in his 
loving kindness, recognized the weakness of his people and dealt 
with them according to the measure of their spiritual capacity. 

Moses for instance used the divining rod, Joshua discovered 
Achan by lot, Gideon demands the sign of the fleece, etc. The 
Urim and Thumim was regularly used in consulting Jehovah. Just 
what the Urim and Thumim was, we no longer know, except that it 
seems to have been an attempt to discover the divine mind by 
casting lots. 

3. The Activity of the Early Prophet. This seems to have mani- 
fested itself in two forms : (a) Individuals ; (b) Guilds of Prophets. 

a. The Individual Prophet. Sometimes he acted both as prophet 
and priest. In olden times he was called a "Seer" (I Sam. 9:9). 



90 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

one having knowledge of things not possessed by others. Saul 
consults Samuel as to what had become of his father's asses (I 
Sam. 9). The prophet, in this period, was, perhaps in most cases, 
a private counsellor, rather than a public preacher. Although the 
greatest of the early prophets, Moses, Samuel, Elijah and Elisha, 
are exceptions to this rule. 

b. Guilds of Prophets. These existed in very ancient times. They 
are especially mentioned in the times of Samuel, Elijah and Elisha. 
These guilds were probably composed of groups of religious patriots, 
who gathered together to prepare themselves for maintaining the 
worship of Jehovah against idolatry. 

4. Uniqueness of Hebrew Prophecy. The Hebrew prophet stands 
alone in history and differs from his heathen contemporaries in 
the following manner : The former spoke in the name of Jehovah, 
the only true and living God. His heathen contemporary was the 
representative of one or more of many gods. 

Among the Hebrews, the crude material form of prophecy grad- 
ually gave way to the higher spiritual reality. For in the very 
bosom of early prophecy there lay hidden the ideal, Jesus had in 
mind, when He said : "God is a spirit and they that worship Him 
must worship Him in spirit and in truth." Even ancient prophecy 
looked toward the day when men would speak with God, as Jesus 
did with His Father — that is, in the secret chamber of the heart, 
in spirit and in truth. 

Some Early Prophets and Their Work 

The work of Moses and Samuel has been referred to in earlier 
lessons. We give a brief sketch here of the work of Deborah, 
Elijah and Elisha. 

Deborah was a prophetess as well as a judge. She came upon 
a time when the question of the control of Canaan lay in the balance. 
Should the Canaanite or should Israel rule? 

At this juncture Deborah arises and fires the heart of Barak and 
her fellow-countrymen with religious and patriotic zeal. A con- 
solidation of several tribes is accomplished. At the river Kishon, 
in the Plain of Esdraelon, the Canaanites are utterly defeated in 
war and the Israelites learn the great lesson of the power of united 
action. Deborah not only saves her country, but prepares the way 
for the founding of the United Kingdom. 



Outune Studies on the Bible. 91 

Elijah has been called the Martin Luther of the Hebrews. 
King Ahab, by his marriage with the heathen Jezebel, opened the 
flood-gates of idolatry into his realm. The religion of Israel was 
at stake. Elijah, courageous and with a religious fervor almost 
bordering on madness, openly condemns the course of Ahab and 
Jezebel. On Mt. Carmel he challenges the priests of Baal single 
handed, to prove openly before the people whether Baal or Jehovah 
is the true God (I Kings 18:21-40). Failing to see the immediate 
fruits of his efforts, for a moment Elijah despairs of his life, but 
soon takes up the battle again in earnest. 

Elijah had learned these lessons : First, that reforms are of slow 
progress, but for that reason must not be discontinued; second, 
that only love, not force can win in the conflict for the right ; 
third, that pessimism is out of place in the battle of the Lord. 
There are always more on His side than we are aware of; fourth, 
even though we seem alone, God is on our side. 

Elisha was the fruit of the faith and labors of Elijah. He was 
the living character through whom Elijah wrote his message to 
posterity. The work of reform must go on; Elijah may be re- 
moved to heaven, but his cloak will fall on others, so Elisha con- 
tinued with renewed zeal the work which Elijah had begun. 

Neither of these men succeeded in blotting out idolatry from the 
Northern Kingdom, but they did keep before the people the fact 
that Jehovah is a jealous God and will tolerate no other gods 
beside Him. 

Without these prophets, the Northern Kingdom would have gone 
to its doom much sooner than it did. Through them, the world 
ever after learned how to believe in God, even when amidst bitterest 
foes, and how to do valiant battle for Him, even against great odds. 
Eventually the battle must end in victory.* 

* Note. — If there seems to be great similarity between these two men and 
the Later prophets, it must not be forgotten that they stand on the border line 
between the Earlier and Later prophets. 



92 Outune Studies on the Bibi,e. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. What is prophecy? 

2. Show that prophecy was not restricted to the Hebrews. 

3. How may Hebrew prophecy be classified? 

4. Mention two characteristics of Early prophecy. 
5. Describe the twofold activity of the Early prophets. 

6. In what sense was Hebrew prophecy unique? 
7. Name some of the Early prophets. 

8. Tell what you know of Deborah. 

9. Of Elijah. 
10. Of Elisha. 

DIAGRAM XVI 

SOME EARLY PROPHETS* 

B. C. 

Moses 1557-1437 

Miriam 1565-1475 

Balaam 1438- 

Deborah 1313-1309 

Samuel 1044-1043 

Nathan 1041-1001 

Elijah 891-872 

Elisha 880-825 

Guilds of Prophets 

At Ramah 1 Sam. 19 : 19-20 

At Bethel 2 Kings, 2 : 3 

At Jericho 2 Kings, 2 : 5 

At Gilgal 2 Kings, 4 : 38 

Elsewhere 2 Kings, 6 : 1 

* According to Auchincloss' "Standard Chronology of the Holy Bible. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 93 

LESSON XVII 

LATER PROPHECY 

Time. 850 B. C. to the close of Old Testament prophecy. 
Sources. Is. 42 : 1-9, 49 : 1-13, 50 : 4-9, 52 : 13, 53 : 12. 

Spirituality is the word that best describes later prophecy. 
With Amos, the first of the literary prophets, we enter upon this 
higher and more spiritual level of prophecy. Elijah and Elisha 
stand midway between the old and the new. 

The Mental State of the Later Prophet. Ecstasy and religious 
excitement, as a condition for receiving the prophetic message, 
now give way to a calm and rational condition of mind. 

The mind of the prophet is no longer thought of merely as a 
harp upon which the divine spirit plays in giving His message to 
the prophet, who has nothing more to do than to receive the message 
and give it to those for whom it is intended. 

Dreams and Visions are still used as a means for conveying 
the divine message, but upon the whole the prophet now receives 
his message, in the waking hours of the day, in the midst of earnest 
thinking. 

The Stronger Mind Influencing the Thought of the Weaker. 
The prophet is considered a friend of God, with whom he holds 
communion. The message which results from such communion is 
like that between friends, who counsel with one another on matters 
of common interest. God's perfect mind impresses His message 
upon the imperfect human mind of the prophet, who, in humble 
obedience and faith, submits himself to his heavenly visitor and 
becomes an inspired ambassador. 

In some such way later prophecy may best be understood. The 
prophet is not such by his own choice, but is conscious of having 
received a distinct call to the office. As such he considers himself 
the representative of God among his fellowmen for whom he has 
received the divine message which he must proclaim, regardless 
of consequences. 

The Activities of the Later Prophets were extended chiefly in 
six directions. 1. He was a preacher. 2. A reformer. 3. A states- 
man. 4. A writer. 5. He foretold the future. 6. He was a living 
example of his message. 



94 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

1. The Prophet as Preacher. The prophet considered himself 
divinely called to interpret the will of God chiefly to his own age. 
Jeremiah calls himself "the mouth of God" (Jer. 15:19). God 
puts the words into the mouth of the prophet who proclaims it (Jer. 
1:9). On the street, in small and large gatherings, the prophets 
preach, as the occasion seemed to demand. Pastorates and pulpits, 
in the modern sense, were not known. The nation was the pastor's 
flock, the entire land his parish. 

2. The Prophet as a Reformer. The Prophet knew himself to be 
the shepherd of the flock, the watchman on the tower. It is his 
business to oversee his people, to warn them of danger and to lead 
them out of treacherous paths. This phase of prophetic activity is 
very strikingly seen in the work of Amos. In fact, it is a chief 
form of activity of all of the later prophets. 

3. The Prophet as Statesman. National and religious life were 
identical among the Hebrews. There was no distinction between 
church and state. The prophet was frequently the chief counsellor 
of the king. As a rule his counsel was rejected because it ran 
counter to the governmental policy of the ruler. But this did not 
keep the prophet from delivering his message. Whether the king 
wished to hear or not, whether he obeyed or not, the prophet de- 
livered his message, usually in the very palace of the king. If this 
was impossible, he placarded the royal city with his written message. 
(Isaiah 8:1.) 

4. The Prophet as a Writer. The seventeen books of prophecy 
testify to the extensive literary activity of the prophets. 

5. He Foretold Future Events. Contrary to the common im- 
pression, this form of activity was rather the unusual than the usual 
part of his work. Primarily, the prophet spoke to his age. Yet 
among his great utterances we find many statements as to coming 
events, chief among which are the prophecies concerning the coming 
Messiah, the Savior of the World (Isaiah 7: 14), (Isaiah 9: 6-7), etc. 

6. The Prophet as a Living Example of His Message. The words 
of the Master, as he weeps over Jerusalem, is the most beautiful 
tribute that could have been paid the character of the Old Testament 
prophets. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets 
and stonest them which are sent unto thee." (Matt. 23:37.) 

The Chronological Order of the Prophets. The Later prophets, 
also called the literary prophets, are usually divided into major and 



Outune Studies on the Bible. 



minor prophets. This is the grouping found in the Old Testament 
and is based upon the size of the books, rather than upon their 
importance or date of authorship. We are anxious, however, also to 
know when the author lived and wrote. In some cases it is im- 
possible to fix the date exactly, but the following diagram shows 
the dates generally accepted by scholars today. 

HISTORICAL GROUPING OF THE PROPHETS 



Period 


Early Prophets 


Pre-Assyrian 


Date, B. C. 
15-9 Cent. 


Moses, Miriam, Deborah, Samuel, Na- 
than, Elijah, Elisha, etc. 


Later Prophets 


Date, B. C. 


Israel 


Judah 


Assyrian 


8 th Century 


Jonah, 760 (or 

359)* 
Amos, 755 
Hosea, 750-735 


Isaiah, 770-700 
Micah, 735-700 


Babylonian 


7th Century 




Jeremiah, 626-586 
Zephaniah, 626 
Nahum, 608 
Habakkuk, 600 


The Exile 


6th Century 




Ezekiel, 593-570 

Obadiah, 586 

Daniel, 550 (or 169)* 


After the Exile 


5th Century 
and after 




Haggai, 520 
Zechariah, 520-518 
Malachi, 450 
Joel, 400 (or 835)* 



* 1. As to the date of the prophets Jonah, Joel and Daniel, students 
are not agreed. This is especially true of Daniel, who is placed by some 
students in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes in 176-164 B. C. Many 
modern scholars think the Book of Isaiah should be divided into two parts, 
called Isaiah (Chapts. 1-39). and Deutero (or second) Isaiah (40 to the 
end). They maintain that Deutero Isaiah dates from a time two centuries 
after the real Isaiah. 

2. "A distinction should be made between the Prophet Daniel and his 
book. The Prophet lived in the days of Nebuchadnezzar to Nabonidas, but 
the Book of Daniel may be much later. The same is true of Jonah. The 
Prophet Jonah lived under King Jeroboam II, about 760 B. C, but the 
book named after him may be and probably is much later." 



96 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Describe the mental state in which the Later prophets received 

their messages. 

2. What place did dreams and visions play in Later prophecy? 

3. Mention the sixfold activity of the Later prophets. 

4. Define the work of the prophet. 

a. As a preacher. 

b. As a reformer. 

c. As a statesman. 

d. As a writer. 

e. As a foreteller of future events. 

f. As an example to follow. 

5. Name the fivefold division of the period of Later prophecy. 

6. Name the prophets of each period. 

7. As to which of the prophets is there a difference of opinion 

as to date. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



97 



DIAGRAM XVII 

MESSAGES OF THE LATER PROPHETS 



Assyrian Age, 
8th Century 



Amos. — The righteousness of Jehovah. 
Hosea. — The love of Jehovah. 
Isaiah. — The holiness of Jehovah. 
Micah. — Divine judgments. 
Jonah. — The great foreign missionary book of 
the Old Testament. 



Babylonian Age, 
7th Century. 



Jeremiah. — Emphasizes the spiritual and indi- 
vidual phases of religion. 

Zephaniah. — Judgment for all the earth, espe- 
cially upon Judah and Jerusalem. 

Nahum. — Foretells the downfall of Nineveh. 

Habakkuk. — Deals with justice of God in per- 
mitting the wicked to oppress the righteous. 



Exile, 

6th Century. 



Obadiah. — Condemns the Edomites in taking 
part in destruction of the Holy City. 

Ezekiel. — 1. He prepares the Jews for the Fall 
of Jerusalem; when in captivity develops 
the spiritual side of religion. 2. He prepares 
people for return from captivity. 3. Out- 
lines a religious program. 

Daniel. — Describes conditions in Babylon and 
prophesies future events. 



After the Exile, 
5th Century, 
and After. 



Haggai and Zechariah urge the rebuilding of 
the Temple, which had been interrupted and 
neglected. 

Malachi, during the time of Ezra, condemns 
the Jews, priests and people alike for neg- 
lecting the Temple, tithes, for mixed mar- 
riages, divorce, etc. 

Joel. — Preaches return to Jehovah, escape 
punishment, the day of Jehovah is at hand. 



98 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

LESSON XVIII 
THE PRIESTHOOD 

History and Organization 

Time. The Old Testament Period. 

Sources. Gen. 8 : 20f f , 12 : 8, 22 : 13 ; Lev. 16 : 4-32 ; Num. 4 : 1-15, 
8:14-26, 35:23-34; Judges 13:19; I Sam. 4:4, 7:1, 
21:1-9, 23:6-13, 30:7ff; I K. 1:34; I Chron. 24-26; 
Ezra 6 : 18. 

Introduction. The priesthood is treated at this point in our 
study, because not until after the captivity does it approach, even 
in outward form, what it was originally intended to be. 
History of the Priesthood. 

a. In the Early Dawn of History stands the priest. Religion is 
as old as the human race. So is the longing after God. At first 
the father, as priest of his household, represents his family before 
God. He worshipped on altars made of wood or stone in his home, 
the fields, groves or on some sacred spot on the mountains. Grad- 
ually this idea of priest of the family widens out into that of a 
larger group in society and the priesthood becomes a distinct office. 

b. In the Days of Moses. In the wilderness Moses organized the 
religious system which was to guide the Israelites in their worship 
of Jehovah. In this system provision was made for the office of 
high priest, priest and Levite, and the duties of each were defined. 

c. Interruptions in the Development. 1. It is but natural to ex- 
pect that under the conditions in the Wilderness, even under the 
leadership of a Moses, this religious system could not be worked 
out in its completeness. Nor was this expected, for the work of 
Moses was rather that of foundation laying, for the time when 
Israel should get into possession of its permanent home in the 
Promised Land. 

2. During the days of the Conquest and the Judges, war and the 
struggle for supremacy in the land of Canaan, retarded and pre- 
vented the religious development of the nation. We must not be 
surprised, therefore, to find even transgressions against the instruc- 
tions given by Moses. More than that, association with the native 
heathen inhabitants, contrary to the divine command, led to the 
introduction of false religions and idolatrous customs. In times 



Outune Studies on the Bible. 99 

of strife and war the cultivation of religion naturally suffers. 

3. During the days of David and Soloman there was a revival of 
the Mosaic ideal. Preparation for building the Temple, on the part 
of David, led to the reorganization of religious worship and the 
re-establishment of the priesthood. But this condition only lasted 
for a short time. 

4. The Division of the Kingdom again engendered strife among 
the nation. This division was directly responsible for the intro- 
duction of idolatry into the Northern Kingdom. Jeroboam I, in 
order to hold his people together and keep them loyal to himself 
after the Temple at Jerusalem was no longer accessible to them, 
established Calf worship at Dan and Bethel. 

An occasional revival, under such kings as Joash, Jehoshaphat, 
Hezekiah and Josiah, aimed to restore the priesthood and worship, 
but these attempts are only temporary. In spite of their reforms, 
conditions prevailed which are foreign to the true religion of Je- 
hovah as taught by Moses. 

5. After the Captivity. Not until then do conditions become favor- 
able for carrying out the Mosaic ideal. Idolatry was uprooted for- 
ever. Once more the people were united. Furthermore, they had 
learned that their past misfortunes were due to disobedience to 
Jehovah, and that their only salvation lay in trusting and obeying 
Him. 

In order to maintain a high standard of moral life, Israel had 
learned that pure forms of worship were necessary. Thus there was 
a return to Moses and his system of worship. From now on the 
priesthood is magnified and thoroughly organized. 

d. The Priesthood at the Point of its Highest Development. With 
the captivity Jewish national liberty was gone. But the deeper mean- 
ing of Israel, as God's people, had dawned upon the nation. From 
that day until now, this thought has bound the Jews together into a 
union which is wider in its influence than geographical boundaries 
and stronger than any political power. 

The Temple was the centre from which this new patriotism was 
to be fed. To it, the nation, represented by the male adults, came 
three times every year, and to it all eyes weie directed from all 
parts of the world where Jews lived. Hence, the Temple worship 
became more and more beautiful and elaborate. At the close of 
the Old Testament era the Temple of Herod, then in the process 



100 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

of rebuilding, represented the highest development yet attained, of 
the worship according to the Mosaic ideal, at least as far as the 
outward form is concerned. But this elaborate Temple service 
presupposes a like development in the priesthood, for "as the 
preacher so the congregation," and as the Temple so the priest. 
The Outward Organization of the Priesthood. 

1. The Priest Tribe. The Tribe of Levi was the one set apart for 
the priesthood. This tribe was further subdivided into priests and 
Levites. From the house of Aaron came the high priest and the 
priests. The other families furnished the Levites, or assistants of 
the priests. 

2. The Twenty-four Courses. The priests were subdivided into 
divisions, called The Twenty-four courses. Corresponding to the 
courses of priests were twenty- four courses of Levites. The courses 
varied in number according to the number of families constituting 
them. Each course served one week in the Temple, dividing up 
the days among the various families constituting the course. The 
division of labor was arranged by the heads of the families repre- 
sented in each course. 

The number of priests included in these twenty-four courses is 
estimated at about 24,000. One-half lived in Jerusalem, many in 
Jericho, the rest were scattered throughout the Holy Land. Those 
remote from Jerusalem were entertained by their brother priests, 
when their turn came to serve at the Temple, which was about 
twice a year. 

The Official Force. Apart from the "ordinary priests" there 
were special officials, fourteen in number. Chief of these was the 
High priest. Next came the second priest, who took the place of the 
High priest in case the latter was incapacitated. Next came various 
treasurers. Other officers were in charge of the gates, the vest- 
ments and the holy vessels. These fourteen officials formed the 
Council of the Temple. This Council had full charge of the 
Temple, its services and discipline. These officers were assisted by 
lower officers, to whom were assigned all the details in connection 
with the elaborate and extensive services. 

Support of the Priesthood. This was provided for by tithes 
from the people, as stipulated by the -Law. Certain portions of the 
sacrificial offerings also fell to the lot of the priests. In addition, 
certain sections of land were set apart for them as homes. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 101 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Describe the priesthood in its earliest form. 

2. What officers did the Mosaic system include? 

3. Was the plan of the Mosaic priesthood fully realized in the 

wilderness? Why not? 

4. What interrupted the development during the time of the Con- 

quest and the Judges? 

5. Describe the status of the priesthood in the days of David. 

6. What was the fate of the priesthood during the time of the 

Divided Kingdom? 

7. After the captivity? 

8. When did the priesthood reach its highest development? 

9. Describe the organization of the priesthood. 

1. The priest tribe. 

2. The twenty-four courses. 

10. What was the Council of the Temple? 

11. How were the priests supported? 



102 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



DIAGRAM XVIII 

THE PROPHETS AND KINGS CHRONOLOGICALLY 
ARRANGED 



ISRAEL 


DATE, 


JUDAH 




B. C. 






Kings 


Prophets 




Prophets 


Kings 


Jeroboam I 
Nadab, Baasha 




937 




Rehoboam 








Abijah, Asa 


Elah, Zimri, Omrl 










Ahab, 875 


Elijah 
Elisha 


880 
870 




Jehoshaphat, 876 
Joram, Ahaziah 


Ahaziah, Joram 










Jehu 








Athaliah (Queen), 
Joash 


Jehoahaz, Jehoash 








Amaziah 

Uzziah (Azariah), 


Jeroboam II, 781- 


Jonah 


760 




782-737 


740 


Amos 






Jotham ( co-regent) 
Ahaz, 737 


Zachariah, 740 










Shallum 


Hosea 


740 


Isaiah 


Hezekiah, 725 


Men ah em 








(or 715) 


Pekaiah, 735 










Hoshea 




720 


Micah 


Manasseh, Amon 






625 


Jeremiah 
Zepheniah 
Nahvim 
Habakkuk 


Josiah, 639-609 
Jehoahaz, 609 
Jehoiakim, 609 
Zedekiah, 587 






590 


Ezekiel 


(Captivity) 






580 


Obadiah 








550 


Daniel 








520 


Haggai 
Zechariah 








450 


Malachi 








400 


Joel (or 835) 





Outline Studies on the Bible. 103 

LESSON XIX 
THE PRIESTHOOD 

Significance and Function 

Time. The Old Testament Period. 

Sources. Deut. 10 : 8, 17 : 18, 21 : 5, 26 : 3f f , 27 : 14f f , 31 : 9, 33 : 8-10 ; 

Jer. 18:18; Lev. 21:1-9, 17-23, 22:1-8; Num. 4; Ex. 

29; Lev. 9; Lev. 16; Num. 15:22-31, 19:1-9; Lev. 

17; Num. 5:11-31, 15:1-21; Num. 28; Ex. 34:22ff, 

23 : 14-17 ; Deut. 16. 

The Spirit in the Form. Every outward religious form has an 
inner meaning. Thus the priesthood sought to express the three- 
fold idea of 1. Mediation. 2, Reconciliation. 3. Holiness. 

1. The Priest as Mediator. The priest was the mediator between 
God and man. The one through whom alone man might approach 
his God. Thus Jehovah's displeasure for sin was strikingly made 
manifest. The high priest alone could enter the Holy of Holies, 
and that but once a year. That this act had to be repeated every 
year, pointed to the time when The Only High Priest would, by His 
one sacrificial giving of Himself for sin, make possible the access 
of all to the Father direct, without any human mediator. 

2.. The Priesthood and Reconciliation. The Israelites, as God's 
chosen people, were to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." 
Ex. 19 : 5-6. But this was a prophecy of an ideal condition to be 
attained only in a distant future, for sin had entered in and had 
disturbed the relation of perfect fellowship with a holy God. Yet 
Jehovah would not permit His people to be cut off from Him en- 
tirely. The priesthood was the divine arrangement to prevent this. 

Through the sacrifices offered by the priesthood for the people, 
Israel was taught that fellowship could be possible only as sin had 
been acknowledged, confessed and atoned for. 

The continuation of the priesthood, from generation to genera- 
tion, and the necessity of repeating the sacrifices, pointed to the 
time when Jesus, through His sufferings and death, would make 
atonement once for all for sin, and when God and man would be 
perfectly reconciled. 

3. The Priesthood as a Symbol of Holiness. By divine instruc- 



104 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

tion the priest was set apart from his brethren to form a distinct 
class in society. By his office he was separated from all secular 
occupations. By his very garments he stood out distinctly from 
among his brethren. Only this man, thus separated, could minister 
to men in the things of God. 

In addition, any physical defect made the priest unfit for service. 
Thus the priesthood was a living example of the central teaching 
of the Jewish religion, that God is a holy God and is terribly dis- 
pleased with all that is impure and unholy. From every unholy 
thing He would have His children separate themselves, as much as 
He separated His special servants, the priests, from every other class 
of men. 

The Function of the High Priest 

1. In the Field of Religion. In addition to the solemn service 
in the Holy of Holies, on the Day of Atonement, which the high 
priest alone could perform, it was his privilege to officiate in any 
part of the Temple service, without special appointment. The final 
responsibility for the entire worship lay with him. The garments 
he wore, were richer and more elaborate and of greater variety 
than those of his subordinates. The breast-plate, with the twelve 
precious stones, the mitre bearing upon it the words "Holiness unto 
Jehovah," the frontlet and ephod (robe) distinguished him out- 
wardly from the ordinary priests. 

2. The Function of the High Priest Politically. According to 
the plan originally outlined by Moses, the high priest came to his 
office, which was purely religious, by heredity. Unfortunately, as a 
result of the changing and bitter experiences through which the 
Jewish nation had to pass, in the course of her history, this once 
sacred, purely religious office was often degraded to a position of 
political power, and was frequently held by men who secured it 
by means of graft or political intrigue. 

Although in the days of Christ the high priest was subject to the 
Sanhedrin or Jewish court, yet it was a position of great influence. 
Associated with it were many honors. The high priest was the 
recognized head of the Jewish nation, although Herod was its 
secular ruler. 

Functions of the Priest. As distinct from the prophet, who 
was chiefly a preacher and religious teacher, the priest officiated at 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



105 



the altar in the Temple and saw to it that the Jewish church year 
was properly observed. 

The work formerly performed by the prophet was now carried 
on, as far as this was possible, by the scribes and other laymen 
learned in the Law. The many synagogues which had sprung up 
during and after the captivity, gave these men a distinct sphere 
of activity. Here old and young came together to study the Word, 
to listen to the sermon or address and to pray. 

The Temple, on the other hand, was nation wide in its significance, 
rather than local as was the synagogue. Here the priests, who be- 
longed to the entire nation and represented all of the people, 
carried out the ceremonial portions of the Law. 

The Jewish Church Year. Centred in the Temple. 
Briefly it was as follows: 

(The Daily worship, morning and evening, with 
sacrifices. 

The Weekly Sabbath, with special sacrifices. 

The New Moon — the first day of every month, 

every four weeks. 
The Feast of Trumpets— the first Sabbath of the 

seventh month. 
The Sabbatic Year — every seventh year. 
The Jubilee Year — every seventh Sabbatic year. 

A. The Three Great Festivals: 

1. The Passover (on the Fourteenth of the 
month Nisan), and the Feast of Un- 
leavened Bread (barley harvest on the 
Fifteenth of Nisan). 

2. The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost or Wheat 
harvest, Deut. 16:10). 

3. The Feast of Tabernacles (Fruit har- 
vest). 

B. The Great Day of Atonement. 

C. The Lesser Festivals: 

1. Purim. 

2. Dedication. 

For details as to these festivals, the student is referred to the First 
Standard Teacher Training Course, or to his Bible dictionary. 



Daily. 



The Sabbath 
Festivals. 



The Annual 
Festivals. 



106 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

A service, more or less elaborate in accordance with its import- 
ance, was carried out at each of these occasions. Sacrifices offered 
by the Temple authorities and paid for out of the Temple treasury 
and by individual worshippers, at their own expense, constituted the 
central feature of all of these festivals. To arrange for and to 
properly carry out these services was the chief function of the 
priest. 

Sacrifices, Ceremonial Cleansings and Vows. 

1. Sacrifices. There were five chief forms of sacrifices com- 
manded by the Law. 
They were: 

1. Burnt Offerings. — Consecration and Thanksgiving, Lev. 1. 

2. Meal Offerings. — A Gift to Secure God's Favor, Lev. 2. 

3. Peace Offerings. — Friendship and Fellowship, Lev. 3. 

4. Sin Offerings. — Expiation and Atonement, Lev. 4 : 1-3, 5 : 13. 

5. Guilt Offerings. — Satisfaction and Reinstatement, Lev. 5 : 14-ff, 

6:7. 

2. Ceremonial Cleansings. "Ye shall be holy for I am holy" 
was God's command to his people. The persons of the Jews were 
considered defiled in God's sight by touching any unclean thing, such 
as a corpse or a leper for instance, or by eating food declared un- 
clean according to the Law. 

In some instances purification could be obtained by certain cere- 
monies in private, in other instances it was necessary to appear 
before the priest with a sacrificial offering. 

3. Vows also played a prominent part in Old Testament reli- 
gion and frequently had to be paid in the presence of the priest in 
the Temple. From these activities we can readily see how varied 
the tasks of the priest were. Over against this elaborate program 
of the Law, which was a taskmaster unto Christ, how simple the 
Gospel, which Jesus came to bring to the world, as the way which 
leads to liberty and hence to peace. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



107 



REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Name the threefold idea underlying the Priesthood. 
2. Define the work of the priest as a mediator. 

3. What is meant by the Priesthood in its relation to reconcilia- 

tion? 

4. In what way was the Priesthood a symbol of holiness? 

5. Define the true function of the High priest. 

6. Show how later on the office was used in a political way. 

7. Name some of the functions of the priest. 

8. Briefly outline the Jewish Church year. 

9. Name and define the five leading sacrifices. 
10. Give a brief account of 

a. Ceremonial cleansing. 

b. Vows. 



DIAGRAM XIX 




108 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

LESSON XX 

THE CLOSING CENTURIES OF OLD TESTAMENT 

TIMES 

Time. 332 B. C. to 4 A. D. 

Sources. The Apocryphal Books of Maccabees. 

A New Era of Old Testament History. 332 B. C. to 4 A. D. 

This period of Hebrew history differs from all that have gone be- 
fore, in that foreign rulers now govern the Israelites in their native 
land. After the return from captivity until the dawn of this pe- 
riod the Jews were undisturbed by any foe from the outside. 
From 432 B. C, when Nehemiah disappears from the scene, until 

332 B. C, when Alexander the Great conquers the Medes (who then 
ruled Israel), the pages of Jewish history are almost an absolute 
blank. The single fact known is the destruction of Jericho by 
Artaxerxes III (361 (359) -338). Our information for the con- 
tents of this lesson comes, not from the Bible, which is silent on the 
subject, but chiefly from the Apochryphal Books of Maccabees and 
from Josephus. 

Division of the Period 

1. The Greek Period from 332-323 B. C. 

2. The Egyptian Period, 323-198 B. C. 

3. The Syrian Period, 198-135 B. C. 

4. The Period of Maccabean Revolt and Independence, 167-163 
B. C. 

5. The Roman Period, 63 B. C. to 4 A. D. 

1. The Greek Period. 332-323 B. C. 

The great Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus, was overthrown in 

333 B. C. by the Greek general, Alexander the Great. Josephus tells 
us that Palestine was taken (332 B. C.) without a battle. A long 
procession of priests and elders, dressed in white, met Alexander 
as he approached the city. The conqueror was so impressed that 
he fell down before the high priest and worshipped Jehovah. He 
then entered the Temple and sacrificed according to the custom of 
the Jews, and granted religious liberty to the people. 

Alexander died in 323 B. C. The following year his five gen- 
erals divided the great kingdom he had founded among themselves. 
Alexander's policy was to Hellenize or to make Greeks of all the 



Outune Studies on the Bibi.e. 109 

nations he conquered. This policy did not effect the Jews very ma- 
terially until more than a century later. From that time on, how- 
ever, it became the issue about which the hottest warfare in the 
nation's history was to be fought out, since its success would have 
meant the utter extinction of the Jewish religion and of the nation. 

2. The Egyptian Period. 323-135 B. C. 

Ptolomy I, known as Soter, took Palestine as a part of his share 
of the kingdom. He was succeeded by four other Ptolomies. The 
Egyptian period is, therefore, also called the Period of the Ptolomies. 
For over 100 years the Jews had peace, and enjoyed prosperity under 
these rulers, until in 198 B. C, when Syria, under Antiochus the 
Great, gained control of Palestine by conquest. This brought the 
rule of the Ptolomies to an end in Palestine. 

3. The Syrian Period. 198-135 B. C. 

The Period of the Seleucidae. Seleucus I, another of Alex- 
ander's generals, took Syria as his share of the kingdom. Although 
his successors assumed the name now of Antiochus, and then of 
Seleucus, this period has become known as that of the Seleucidae. 
The most prominent of these rulers was Antiochus, called Epiphanes 
the Illustrious. He was the seventh ruler of the Seleucidae. 

The Policy of Antiochus Epiphanes and the Greek Party. What 
Alexander hoped to do gradually, and prudently, Antiochus set out 
to do at once and by force. Of the Jewish portion of Palestine's 
population, many had fallen away from the native religion, and were 
making common cause with their foreign rulers, thinking that the 
only hope for the nation lay in surrendering its national religion and 
spirit. 

A national Greek party had been formed, including many promi- 
nent Jews. It found strong advocates, even among the priesthood. 
The faithful high priest, Onias III, had been deposed and succeeded 
by his mercenary brother, Jason, who secured the office from Anti- 
ochus through a bribe. 

Persecution of the Jewish Party. No doubt encouraged by the 
sympathy he received from the Greek party, Antiochus decided to 
blot out the Jewish religion with a stroke, by substituting for it 
Greek heathenism. Pious Jews were bitter against the Greek party 
and especially against the king. The unexpected news of his death 
in battle in Egypt caused great rejoicing. But it was a false report. 



110 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

Angered by this expression of disapproval of his rule, Antiochus re- 
turned to Jerusalem, determined to annihilate the Jews altogether. 
Forty thousand were massacred in three days. In addition he com- 
manded the governor, whom he had placed over Palestine to drive 
out every Jewish custom. 

Plans of Antiochus to Destroy the Jewish Religion. 1. The 
Jewish Scriptures were gathered and burned. 2. The Sabbath was 
desecrated. 3. Circumcision was forbidden. 4. Jews forced to eat 
swine's meat. 5. The city plundered. 6. The city walls were torn 
down. 7. One thousand were led away as slaves. 8. On December 
25, 168 B. C, an altar was erected to Jupiter Olympus on top of 
the Great altar in the Temple, and a sacrifice was offered to the 
Greek god, Zeus. The question of life or death of the Jewish nation, 
and her religion hung in the balance. 
4. The Maccabean Period. 167-63 B. C. 

After administering what he thought was a death blow to the 
Jewish religion in Jerusalem, Antiochus sought to make the work 
of devastation complete, by carrying out the same policy throughout 
the rest of Palestine. 

Mattathias, the Father of the Maccabees. At Modein, a village 
near Jerusalem, the people had been called together, and commanded 
to celebrate a heathen sacrifice. Mattathias, an old influential citi- 
zen, was challenged to set the people an example of submission to 
the king in thus rejecting the Jewish religion. This Mattathias indig- 
nantly refused to do. Consequently a faithless Jew offered to do it 
in his stead. Mattathias, infuriated by the sacrilege, slew the Jew 
and the commissioner of the king, and broke down the altar. 
Summoning his five sons and the faithful Jews of the place to fol- 
low him, he fled to the mountains. 

The news of Mattathias' act spread like wild fire. The pious citi- 
zens, known as the Jewish party, took courage and rallied about him. 
Throughout the nation the revolt spread. Heathenism was checked 
and the Greek party overthrown. 

Judas Maccabeus. In 167 B. C, Mattathias died. But the 
revolution went on,, under his eldest son, Judas Maccabeus. This 
man stands out in history as one of the greatest heroes of the Jewish 
nation. He was an unselfish patriot, a truly pious Jew, a bold 
warrior and a wise leader. 

As a result of this uprising, the Jews were soon involved in a 



Outline Studies on the Bible. Ill 

bitter conflict. For the Jew it meant a religious war. Men never 
fight more valiantly and fiercely than when their religion is at stake. 

Success attended Judas. By 165 B. C. the Temple service was 
again restored. Antiochus died in 164 B. C, after he had heard 
of the defeat of his wicked plans for Judea. Judas now decided 
to gain control of Jerusalem. Lysias, the general of Antiochus, 
marched against the city with a mighty host. All seemed lost, the 
city was about to surrender, when Lysias was unexpectedly called 
away. A treaty of peace was made, which granted the Jew absolute 
religious liberty. The great battle had been won. Jehovah and not 
Zeus reigned in Palestine. 

This religious victory won, Judas now set out to secure political 
freedom also. Demetrius had seized the throne upon the death of 
his brother, Antiochus Epiphanes. He was determined to subdue 
Judea. The attempt was frustrated by Judas, who utterly destroyed 
the army, led by Nicanor, which the king sent against him. In 
161 B. C. Judas died in battle. 

Jewish National Independence. Judas was followed by his 
brother, Jonathan, and he in turn by Simon, who, in 142 B. C, 
finally gained absolute control of Jerusalem, and thus secured politi- 
cal freedom for the Jews. Hence, the Jew was again free, religiously 
and politically. The years 142 B. C. to 63 B. C. mark the period 
of Jewish national independence, when native kings sat on the throne 
of Israel once more, although only for a short period. Aristobulus, 
the grandson of Judas, was the first to call himself "King of the 
Jews." 

The Triumph Short Lived. Discord among the leaders grad- 
ually developed within the kingdom, followed by a period of re- 
ligious and moral decline. The Romans, who had by this time made 
their power felt even in the remote East, were called in to settle 
the dispute. Pompey, the Roman general, came in 63 B. C, took 
the city and placed Palestine under Roman rule. Thereby the 
Maccabean period, and with it Jewish independence, came to an end 
forever. The Maccabean rulers are also called Hasmonaeans, after 
Hasmon, the grandfather of Mattathias. 

5. The Roman Period. 63 B. C. to 4 A. D. 

Julius Caesar was Emporer of Rome when Pompey reduced 
Palestine to Roman rule. From 40 to 37 B. C. Antigonus, a 



112 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

Maccabean prince, was tolerated by Rome as King of Judea. But 
in 37 B. C. Herod, of Idumea, was given this place by the Roman 
senate, with instructions to subdue the people. He was known as 
Herod the Great, and reigned until 4 B. C. He was a blood-thirsty 
and cruel king. His reign was a sore affliction to the Jews. His 
prominence in history is due to the fact that he lived at the time 
when the Old Dispensation gave way to the New, and when the 
Old Testament Church bore its most beautiful and ripest fruit, 
Jesus Christ. 

Rome Gave Israel Its Crushing Blow. In 70 A. D. Titus burnt 
the Temple to the ground and ruined the city. The national exist- 
ence of the Jews on native soil comes to an end forever, and out 
of the death throes of the Old Testament Church there issued the 
Christian or New Testament Church. 

Conclusion 

Not until the fulness of time had come and the measure of the 
world's iniquity was complete; not until Israel had been used of 
God to give unto the world a perfect revelation of Himself, the 
pattern of perfect humanity and a divine Redeemer in the person 
of the Christ, is the nation permitted to hurl itself into ruin ; to lose 
its native land, its national life and the place of honor among the 
nations of the earth. 

Disappointment and Hope. The Hebrew race has written the 
noblest page of the world's history, but also its saddest page. 
The splendid side of this story is what God could do through Israel, 
in spite of herself. The sad side — what Israel did in spite of the 
loving kindness of God. Great is the honor that from her, as a 
chosen people, came the Redeemer. Greater still would have been 
her glory had she qualified herself to be used as a chosen people 
to make known the Redeemer to the entire world. 

This honor has now passed into other hands. Entirely? We be- 
lieve not. Scattered over all the earth, Israel is preserved against 
the centuries of her persecutions — not in vain. Even in her broken 
glory Israel is still a great people. Like a warning voice she stands 
and cries out aloud among the nations. Her great neighbors and 
conquerors of antiquity have crumbled away into dust, but Israel, 
although one of the smallest and weakest nations of ancient times, 
still lives. Out from Israel came Christianity, the great builder of 



OUTLINE Studies on the Bible. 113 

nations and human lives. God has yet a great work for Israel to 
do among Israel's millions throughout the world. Her birthright 
is still that of The Chosen people. May Israel again claim it as 
such. 

REVIEW QUESTIONS 

1. Describe the New Era of Jewish history, which sets in after 

332 B. C. 

2. Name the five periods of the closing centuries of the Old Testa- 

ment times. 

3. Give the chief characteristics of the Greek period. 

4. Of the Egyptian period. 

5. Of the Syrian period. 

6. Of the Maccabean period. 

7. Of the Roman period. 

8. Give the dates of each period, and the leading characters in 

each. 



114 



Outxine Studies on the Bible. 



DIAGRAM XX 

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 
Principal Events in Hebrew History 





Authorities 










Auchin- 




Toy 


Kautzsch 


Budde 


closs 


Birth of Abraham 


(1882) 


(1897) 


(1899) 


(1908) 


B. C. 


B. C. 


B. C. 


(B. C. 








1982 


Exodus from Egypt under 










Moses 


1330 
1300 


al320 
al280 


al250 
al200 


1477 
1437 


Invasion of Canaan 


David made King 


1040 
960 


alOOO 
a933 


1000 
933 


1041 
961 


Division of the Kingdom... 


Accession of Ahab of Israel. 


903 


a876 


876-854 


903 


Downfall of Omri Dynasty.. 


842 


842 


842 


840 


The Prophets Amos and 








(786-772 


Hosea 


785 


779-743 
740 


760-745 
740 


(775-726 
744 


The Call of Isaiah 


Accession of Hezekiah of 










Judah 


726 




725 


727 


Fall of the Northern King- 




dom 


720 


722 


722 


721 


Siege of Jerusalem by 


Sennacherib 




701 
643 


701 
696-641 


701 
698-642 


Manasseh, King of Judah . . . 


639 


Josiah, King of Judah 


639 


640-609 


639-608 


640-609 


The Prophet Jeremiah 


626-580 


628 


626 


628-580 


Reforms of Josiah, based on 










Deuteronomy 




622 
609 


621 
604 




Death of Josiah at Megiddo 


609 


609 


First capture of Jerusalem 










by Nebuchadnezzar ...... 






597 


606 


Fall of Jerusalem, beginning 










of Babylonian captivity... 
Babylon taken by Cyrus 


586 


586 


586 


586 


539 


539 


538 


538 


Return of some Jews to 










Canaan 


536 


a536 




536 


Visit of Ezra to Jerusalem. 


457 


458 


... 


458 


Nehemiah in Jerusalem.... 


444 


445 




445-433 


Building of Samaritan 










Temple at Gerezim 




a335 






The Jews submit to Alex- 










ander the Great 


al*65 

6a 


332 
166 




••• 


Maccabean ^^ar 


Jerusalem taken by Pompey. 



APPENDIX* 

I. Down the Centuries with Israel's Neighbors 117 

II. The Canon of the Old Testament 121 

III. The Old Testament as Literature 126 

IV. How to Study an Old Testament Book 132 

* These chapters are intended to be read, but will not be included in the 
examinations. 



I 

DOWN THE CENTURIES WITH ISRAEL'S NEIGHBORS 

We have pursued Israel's history to that point where she ceases 
to be an independent nation. Only for one short century, as we 
saw from 167 to 63 B. C, does she throw off the foreign yoke, 
only to be subjected to greater humility, and finally to lose even 
her own native land. Let us now see at what leading points Israel's 
history touches that of her great neighbors of old. 
The Political Situation of the Ancient World. 

Babylonia and her child, Assyria, waged almost incessant war 
with one another for centuries over the control of Babylon. Baby- 
lonia was given more to peace and the cultivation of religion, the 
arts and trade, and through these means wielded a wide influence. 

The Assyrians occupying a rugged mountainous country were a 
fierce and war-like people. Their one ambition was to establish 
a world empire. Hence, their history is one uninterrupted story of 
conquest and oppression. Assyria, in fact, was the crudest nation 
of antiquity. 

Egypt was inspired with a similar ambition for world conquest. 
Whenever Babylonia and Assyria had mutually weakened one 
another, Egypt raised her head and subdued and oppressed her 
neighbors. Syria and the weaker Palestine, lying on the line of 
march, which Egypt followed in her warfare against Babylonia and 
Assyria, consequently suffered much from her foes. 

Syria, as the nearest neighbor of Babylonia and Assyria, was 
exposed to peculiar hardships. To protect herself she constantly 
sought alliances with the smaller nations round about. This con- 
dition of affairs also placed Israel in an embarassing position, since 
her religion forbade intercourse with neighboring nations. This 
religious restriction largely accounts for much of the oppression 
and persecution to which the nation was exposed, now by the one, 
then the other of her neighbors. 

Where Secular and Biblical History Touch 
Early Babylonia From the Beginnings to 2200 B. C. The early 
pages of the Bible dimly reflect some conditions under which the 



118 Outune Studies on the Bible. 

ancestors of the Israelites lived while yet in their Babylonian home 
before migrating to Canaan. 

Babylonian civilization had attained a high state of development 
centuries before the Christian Era. The first exact Bible date is 
about 2200' B. C, and is suggested by Gen. 14, where the name of 
King Amraphel is mentioned among the kings against whom Abra- 
ham fought to deliver Lot. A recently discovered tablet identifies 
Amraphel with King Hamurabi, the great law-giver of Babylon. 

During the centuries 2200 to 1500 B. C. falls the history of the 
Patriarchs and the descent into Egypt. Almost throughout the 
entire period of these long centuries Babylon holds sway in Canaan. 

Egypt in Canaan. (1500-1300 B. C). Babylonia at the be- 
ginning of this period, threatened from within by Assyria and by 
invaders from without, is obliged to concentrate her strength upon 
her own land. Egypt took advantage of this situation to invade 
Canaan and Syria, and made both nations temporarily her subjects. 

Near the opening of this period belongs the story of Joseph and 
the beginnings of Israel's history in Egypt. The Tell-El-Amarna 
tablets, described in a previous lesson, actually give the correspond- 
ence which took place between the Kings of Egypt and the rulers in 
Palestine at this time. 

Hittites and Philistines in Canaan. (1300-1000 B. C). Grad- 
ually difficulties arose in Egypt which obliged her to pay especial 
attention to the home land. At the same time Assyria and Baby- 
lonia were too busy with their own affairs to pay any attention to 
Canaan. At this time the strong Hittite nation arose in the southern 
portion of Syria, which, later on, became a powerful factor in 
driving and keeping Egypt out of Syria. 

At this juncture also the Philistines appear in the history of 
Israel. They are supposed to have come from the Island of Crete 
and to have streamed into Canaan by way of Syria. After this 
people, Canaan was later on called Philistia, whence we have the 
name Palestine. 

At the beginning of this period occurred the Exodus from Egypt, 
the wilderness wanderings and the conquest of Canaan. The fact 
that the three strong nations of the day were obliged to attend to 
affairs at home, explains the free hand the Israelites had in gaining 
possession of Canaan. 

Assyria in Canaan. (1000-606 B. C). In 1110 Assyria finally 
realized her dream of conquest, gained the ascendency over Baby- 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 119 

Ionia and held the reigns of government until 606 B. C. Into this 
period falls the history of the kingdom, from its beginnings until 
within twenty years of the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of 
Judah in Babylonia. Fortunately, during this period the records 
of Assyrian history, which have come down to us, are fairly 
complete. 

Syria in Canaan. (950-800 B. C). Fifty years after Tiglath 
Pileser I, King of Assyria, had conquered Babylon, Assyria's great- 
ness is suddenly eclipsed. A period of decline sets in, which con- 
tinued for 150 years. During this time Syria, the nearest northern 
neighbor of Israel, developed a place of great influence and power, 
threatening even Assyria itself. 

This development of Syria reached its climax about 950 B. C. 
For about 200 years Syria vexed her neighbors, forced them into 
alliances against Assyria or Egypt, as the case may be, and de- 
prived them of their land. During this period, also, David invaded 
Syria and added a portion of this territory to his own kingdom. 

Assyria in Israel. (840-722 B. C). Assyria gradually regained 
her former strength and took away from Syria the northern half 
of her kingdom, but failed to capture Damascus, the captital, in 
the south. 

1. In 842 B. C. King Jehu, of Israel, being oppressed by Syria, 
called upon the King of Assyria for help. The latter rendered the 
desired aid, but made Israel tributary. This event marks the first 
appearance of Assyria on Israel's territory. From that time on 
Assyria never relinquished her hold. In 800 B. C. Assyria took 
Damascus and subdued Syria. Henceforth, the power of Syria over 
Israel was broken. 

2. Israel and Syria Against Assyria. (800-722 B. C.) Now that 
Syria was again under the control of Assyria, the last protection 
was taken away that separated Israel from its strong enemy. From 
now on Syria seeks to protect herself by uniting all the smaller 
neighboring nations against their strong mutual enemy. The result 
of such an alliance with Syria brought about the siege of Samaria 
in 722 to 721 by Shalmaneser IV, of Assyria, and the destruction 
of the Northern Kingdom. 

Assyria in Judah. (722-606 B. C). With the fall of Samaria 

every barrier between Assyria and Judah was at last broken down. 

In 732 B. C. Assyria had come to the rescue of Judah against 



120 Outune Studies on the Bibi^e. 

Syria and Israel, who were threatening punishment for refusing 
to join in throwing off Assyria's yoke. This is known as the Syro- 
Ephraemite War. As a result Judah had to pay tribute to Assyria. 
In course of time this tax became a heavy and annoying burden. 

Assyria Reconquered by Babylonia. Assyria the great dis- 
poiler of nations, was now to meet her doom. Attempting to 
destroy her bitter enemy Egypt by a single blow, she proceeded 
against her with a great force. With the many other campaigns 
on hand and the internal discord in the kingdom, this effort proved 
too much for Assyria. The Chaldeans to the south and the Medes 
to the north, fell upon Assyria and divided the kingdom between 
them. Once more Babylonia was enthroned in power (606 B. C). 

Egypt thinking her opportunity to gain world power had now 
come, hastened north, but was utterly defeated by Babylonia at 
Carchemish in Syria (606 B. C). The near approach of the foe to 
her very borders now put Egypt on the defensive. Fearing the 
growing strength of Babylonia she sought to transfer the friendship 
of Judah from her ally to herself, and urged the latter to throw off 
the yoke with the promise of help. The prophets warned against 
the step. 

At first Judah remained true to her Babylonian ally; but at 
last, when Egypt persisted, and the smaller neighboring nations 
kept on harassing Judah for refusing to join the alliance, she 
yielded. This brought Nebuchadnezer of Babylon upon the scene. 
Twice he warned Judah, in 605 and 597, by carrying away captives 
and plunder. At last, in 586 B. C, he came, destroyed Jerusalem, 
and carried nearly the entire remaining population into captivity to 
Babylon. From now on, excepting the Maccabean Independence, 
Israel is no longer an independent nation among nations, but a 
subject people. 



II 

THE CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 

The term Canon is a Greek word, used since the days of the 
early Christian church, to designate the following: 

I. The list of books of the Bible authoritatively so declared. 
II. The qualities which entitled a book to be placed in this list. 
III. The history of when and how the various books came to be 
gathered into a single volume. 

I. The List of Bible Books. 

Among the first things the young Bible student learns, is that the 
Bible is not a single volume finished at one time, but a library of 
many volumes, written during many centuries, by many writers. In 
Lesson I, we saw that the books now composing the Bible, are not 
the only ones written, which deal with the history and religion of 
the Hebrews. 

Although reverence for the Scriptures as a divine revelation, 
developed very early among the Hebrews, still Jewish literature 
shows, that the books now comprising the Bible, are a selection 
from many books. 

Various ancient lists of the books, properly thought to have a 
place in the Bible, have come down to us. These lists show, that 
originally some books were omitted, which are now included. So, 
for instance, it was questioned for a long time, whether the Song 
of Solomon, Ecclesiastes and Esther were to be included or not. 

The Apocrypha. 

Even today in some editions of the Old Testament, the student 
will find a list of books known as the Apocrypha (hidden books). 
Concerning these books, for many centuries there was much dispute, 
as to whether they should be included. 

The Roman Catholic Church, by a decree of the so-called Council 
of Trent, in 1545-1563, decided that they were inspired. The Prot- 
estant Church, on the contrary, holds that they are not inspired. 
Some editions of the Bible retain these books, with the explicit 



122 Outwne Studies on the Bible. 

statement, however, that they are not to be considered on an equality 
with the other books of the Bible, but are retained because they 
are good for instruction and reading. 

These statements may at first be confusing, but upon further 
thought, the history of the choice of the books as finally settled, 
is just what we should expect, when we remember how, in the 
history of our religion in general, God is seen to closely co-operate 
with man and to have carried out his great purpose through men, 
and still does so. 

The Protestant Church believes that God through the Holy Spirit, 
so directed the choice of men, called in ages past to make this 
selection, that our Bible as we know it today, contains all the 
books necessary for the true revelation of God, in and through 
Jesus Christ, and excludes those, which introduce elements not in 
harmony with such a revelation. 

II. Qualities Which Entitled a Book to a Place in the Canon. 
These may be summed up briefly as follows: A book to be in- 
cluded had to have behind it, — 

1. Antiquity. 

2. Had to be associated with some great name, like Moses, Solo- 

mon, etc. 

3. Had to be based on some great historical event or festival. 

4. Had to contain the voice of God, as spoken to no other nation. 

5. The Power of God in the lives of individuals and in the nation 

had to be manifest. 

6. The Presence of God in the books rendered them unique. 

III. How and When the Books Were Gathered Into One 

Volume. 

The answer to this question is uncertain. Neither in the Bible, 
nor in literature anywhere else, do we find a definite account of 
how this came about. At best we can only set up a theory, from 
the scattered statements found in ancient Jewish and early Christian 
literature. 
Bzra and the Great Synagogue. 

For a long time it was thought, that Ezra and the so-called Great 
Synagogue gathered the books of the Old Testament together into 
a unit. Without going into the reasons (which lack of space for- 
bids), this view has been generally abandoned today. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 123 

The Order of Books in the Hebrew Bible. 

As we saw in the diagram following Lesson XV, the order of 
books in the Hebrew Bible was different from that found in our 
English Bibles. This ancient order of the books is generally con- 
sidered decisive by scholars today, in fixing the history of the 
Canon. It is supposed that these three divisions represent three 
distinct periods of its development. 

In part, this development relates to the origin of the books them- 
selves, in part to the process of collecting the books acknowledged 
divinely authoritative and binding. 

Law — Prophets — Writings. 

According to the above theory, the three distinct steps noticeable, 
in the history of the Canon, are as follows: 

I. The Law. 

Although the Books of the Law (or the Pentateuch) were in the 
main, in existence in the time of Moses, not until in the days of 
Ezra (450 B. C), can they be said to have received that recognition, 
which from the very beginning, they were expected eventually to 
have. 

II. The Prophets. 

Following the fixing of the Law and acceptance of it, as divinely 
authoritative by the people, the time came, after the voice of the 
prophets was stilled, that their writings and utterances became more 
and more precious. In order to preserve these teachings it was felt 
necessary to gather them into permanent form. So these writings 
gradually came to be ranked, as a part of the Bible, by the side 
of the Law. 

Here we must remember, that the Jew had a broader conception 
of the term Prophetical writings,* than we have today. Under this 

* "The Arrangement of the Books in the Hebrew Bible." See also page 87. 
I. Law. — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. 
II. Prophets. — 1. The Former Prophets, or the first volume of 
Prophets — Joshua, Judges, Samuel, f Kings.-}- 
2. The Later Prophets, or the second volume of Prophets — 
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve, also known as 
the Minor prophets. 
III. Writings. — Commonly called Hagiographa — that is, Sacred Writ- 
ings — Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of 
Songs, Lamentations, Daniel, Esther, Ezra,** Chronicles. f 
** Including Nehemiah. 
-f First and Second. 



124 Outline Studies on the Bible. 

term he understood, what we today characterize as the historical 
writings (not including the Law), plus the books known to us as 
the Prophets. 

The date when the second part of the Canon was closed, is probably 
about 300 B. C). 

III. Writings. 

These were called in Hebrew, Kethubhim (Writings), in Greek, 
Hagiographa (Sacred Writings). 

Under this head, the Jews gathered the remaining books now in 
our Bible. Exactly upon what basis this miscellaneous group was 
gathered is no longer clear today. In part it was due to the fact 
that some of the writings had not appeared until then; in part (and 
this has reference especially to the Psalms and Proverbs) to the 
highly developed form of the Temple worship and the consequent 
need of a suitable liturgy. Why some of these books, especially 
Daniel, is included in this division, is a greatly disputed point. The 
exact date, when this part of the Canon was closed is not known, 
although some time during the last century B. C. will probably be 
a safe estimate. 

The Council of Jamnia 

Although it is very likely, that before the close of Old Testament 
times, the Canon had been fixed, all the books considered divinely in- 
spired and binding upon the individual, still, not until about 90 A. D. 
do we find any official action taken which gave formal sanction to 
this conviction. At this time, the so-called Council of Jamina de- 
clared itself in favor of all the books now in the Old Testament. 
For at least two centuries, however, voices were heard, calling into 
question the right of certain books, to a place in the collection. But 
since the end of the second century B. C. (excepting the Apocyrphal 
books referred to above), there has been quite general accord, as to 
the books now constituting the Old Testament Canon. 

Conclusion 

In the light of what has gone before, it is evident, that the his- 
tory of how the Canon was formed, is anything but clear and satis- 
factory. At best, much still remains problematic; therefore, until 
some more satisfactory theory, of the origin of the Canon is offered, 
we must be contented and await the day of the clearer light. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 125 

Note. — Those who desire to pursue this interesting subject fur- 
ther, are referred to "The Canon of the Old Testament," by Ryle, 
and to the article on the same subject in "Hasting's Bible Diction- 
ary" (Fifth volume), where you will find a list of the quotations 
found in ancient Jewish literature referring to this subject. For the 
more conservative view, see Green's "General Introduction to the 
Old Testament, The Canon." 



Ill 



THE OLD TESTAMENT AS LITERATURE 

For a full apreciation of the Bible, the student needs a knowledge 
of the book as literature. Dr. Moulton says: "that the Bible is the 
worst printed book in the world," and by that he means to say, that 
until the appearance of the Revised Version, there was nothing in 
the style of printing to indicate the original purpose of its authors, 
as far as the variety of forms of literature constituting it is con- 
cerned. 

Even the Revised Version gives only a meagre suggestion of the 
glory of the original. One must pick up "The Bible for Modern 
Readers," by Moulton, to see the full force of this statement. Here, 
for instance, is a sample from this reconstructed Bible, to illustrate 
what we mean : 



Deborah's 



Authorized Version 
Judges 5:3 

3. Hear, O ye kings; give 
ear, O ye princes; I, even I, 
will sing unto the Lord; I will 
sing praise to the Lord God of 
Israel. 



4. Lord, when thou wentest 
out of Seir, when thou march- 
edst out of the field of Edom, 
the earth trembled, and the 
heavens dropped, the clouds 
also dropped water. 

5. The mountains melted 
from before the Lord, even that 
Sinai from before the Lord 
God of Israel. 



Song 

"The Bible for Modern 

Readers" 

PRELUDE 

Men 

Hear, O ye kings — 

Women 
Give ear, O ye princes — 

Men 
I, even I, will sing unto the 
Lord — 

Women 

I will sing praise to the Lord, 

the God of Israel. 

APOSTRpPHE 

Tutti 

Lord, when thou wentest forth 

out of Seir, 
When thou marchedst out of 

the field of Edom, 
The earth trembled, the heavens 

also dropped, 

Yea, the clouds dropped water. 

The mountains flowed down at 

the presence of the Lord, 

Even yon Sinai, at the presence 

of the Lord, the God of 

Israel. 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



127 



6. In the days of Shamgar, 
the son of Anath; in the days 
of Joel, the highways were un- 
occupied, and the travelers 
walked through byways. 

7. The inhabitants of the 
villages ceased, they ceased in 
Israel, until that I, Deborah, 
arose, that I arose a mother in 
Israel. 

8. They chose new gods; 
then was war in the gates : was 
there a shield or spear seen 
among forty thousand in 
Israel? 



1. THE DESOLATION 

Men 

In the days of Shamgar, the 

son of Anath; 
In the days of Joel, 
The highways were unoccupied, 
And the travelers walked 

through byways ; 
The rulers ceased in Israel, 
They ceased — 

Women 
Until that I, Deborah, arose, 
That I arose a mother in Israel. 
They chose new gods; 
Then was war in the gates: 
Was there a shield or spear 

seen 
Among forty thousand in 
' Israel? 



The great contrast, between the colorless prose style of the 
Authorized Version and the restoration to the luminous and sug- 
gestive original is seen at a glance. It is the purpose of this chapter 
to give, in as brief an outline as possible, an idea of the manifold 
forms of literature in the Old Testament. We will he happy to 
learn that The Greatest Book in the world is also the most beautiful 
one, in the variety of its literary forms. 

That the language of the Bible, because of its chaste and beautiful 
style, has done more than any other book to mould the English 
language and to keep it pure today, is well known to us all. But 
the beauty of its structure, especially of the Old Testament, is un- 
known to most of us. 

Not only will such a literary study of the Old Testament restore 
to us the various parts, as they appeared to the mind of the original 
writers, but as we saw in the illustration above, in many cases such 
study affords the only clue to the true meaning of the words of 
the text. 
Prose and Poetry in the Old Testament. 

From the Revised version we would conclude that the whole Old 
Testament is prose. We know, however, that a very large portion 
of it is poetry. As to its form, Hebrew poetry differs strikingly from 
modern poetry. In the place of rhyme we find rhythm in Old Testa- 
ment verse. This is also called parallelism, or a balancing of lines 



128 Outline Studies on the Bibi,e. 

and thoughts, rather than of sounds. 

Kinds of Hebrew Poetry or Parallelism. There are four kinds 
of parallelism, as follows: 1. Synonomous. 2. Antithetic. 3. 
Synthetic. 4. Climactic. An example of Synonomous Parallelism is 
the following— Ps. 2:3: 

Let us break their bands asunder 
And cast away their cords from us. 

This one instance will suffice to illustrate the general idea of 
parallelism, which underlies Hebrew poetry. For a detailed study 
of the subject we must refer the student to Moulton's "Literary 
Study of the Bible. ,, 

FORMS OF LITERATURE 

In the Bible will be found nearly every form of literature known. 
Moulton sums up these forms somewhat as follows*: 



II. PROSE 

(As discussion of what already 
exists.) 

a. History. Description (of 

nature and events). 

b. Philosophy. Reflection. 

c. Rhetoric. Presentation. 



I. POETRY— Creative Lit- 
erature. 
(Adds to the sum of existence.) 

a. Epic. **Description (Verse 

preponderates). 

b. Lyric. Reflection (Music 

preponderates). 

c. Drama. tPresentation (Ac- 

tion preponderates). 

These general divisions Moulton again sub-divides as follows: 

* In three particulars the Bible differs from other literature. 1. There 
are no dramas as such, but rather the dramatic element in many of its 
literary forms. 2. Prophecy, in distinction from that of any other nation, 
is conceived as being an actual divine message. 3. Poetry and prose often 
overlap. For example: 

"Thus saith the Lord 

For three transgressions of Damascus, 
Yes, for four, 
I will not turn away the punishment thereof, 
because they have threshed Gilead with 
threshing instruments of iron." (Amos 1: 3.) 
** Description. — Author's words throughout. 
f Presentation. — Author nowhere appears. 



Outune Studies on the Bibi,e. 129 

I. FORMS OF LYRIC POETRY 

Folk Songs. 

Triumphal Odes. 

National Anthems. 
Odes. /Processional Ode. 

Songs. 

Odes on Themes. 
Occasional Psalms. 

{Elegies Proper. 
Elegies of Denunciation. 
Encomia and Salutations. 

. ( Ritual Hymns. 

Liturgical Psalms. | Liturgies . 

Dramatic Lyrics. 
Monodies. 
Meditations. 
Psalms on Themes. 

II. HISTORIC AND EPIC LITERATURE IN 
CONNECTION 

Primitive History. Epic Element: Epic Incidents, Epic Cycles, 
Epic History. 

Constitutional History. Epic Element: Epic History. Mixed 
Epic. 

Incidental History. Epic Element: Epic Incidents. Epic Cycles, 
Epic History. 

Regular History. Epic Element: Epic History, Epic Prophecy. 

III. FORMS OF EPIC LITERATURE 

Verse Epic. 
Mixed Epic. 

{Epic Stories. 
Epic Cycles. 
Epic Histories. 

fProphetic Stories. 
Epic Prophecy. J Prophetic Cycles. 
Prophetic Epics. 



130 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 



IV. FORMS OF WISDOM LITERATURE 



Unit Prophecy. 



Riddles. 

Cycle of Riddles. 

Fable. 

Parable. 

Dramatized Parable. 



Wisdom Literature 
Tending Prose wards. 



Doom Songs. 



Maxims. 

Proverb Cluster. 

The Essay. 

'The (Rhetoric) Encomium. 

Epigram. 

Fixed or Number Sonnet. 

Free Sonnet. 
.Dramatic Monologue. 

V. FORMS OF PROPHETIC LITERATURE 
The Prophecy or [Burden (A. V.) or Oracle (R. V.). 

Prophetic Discourse. -{A Book of Prophecy. 
[A Prophetic Cycle, 
j Books of Dooms. 
I Cycle of Dooms. 
Prophetic Lyrics. 

Emblem Prophecy: Sign of the Prophet 
Vision Prophecy. 

C A. Revelation of the Future. 
} Prophetic Call. 

(^ B. Revelation of Law and Pattern. 
Vision Cycles. 
The Prophetic Parable. 
With God — Prototype : Abraham's Intercession. 
With Inquirers — Response. 

a. Dialectic Prophecy. 

b. Dialectic Cycle. 
With the World: 

Prophetess Incidents and 

Controversies. 
Dramatic Prophecy. 

«.„,.„, , (Rhapsodies of Judgment. 

The Prophetic Rhapsody. | Rhapsodical Discourses. 



Symbolic Prophecy. 



Prophetic 
Intercourse 



Outune Studies on the Bible. 131 

VI. LITERATURE OF ADDRESS 
Oratory. 
Formal Prayers. 
Epistle or Written Address (Only in New Testament). 

VII. LITERATURE OF IDYL 
Epic Idyl. 
Lyric Idyl. 

For specimens of each of the above forms of literature the stu- 
dent is referred to the comprehensive treatment of this subject 
mentioned above, in Moulton's "The Literary Study of the Bible." 

In order to see how this readjustment is made on the printed 
page of the Bible, see Moulton's "The Modern Reader's Bible." 



IV 

HOW TO STUDY AN OLD TESTAMENT BOOK 

Unsatisfactory Ways. It is possible to read the Bible from 
cover to cover (and every Christian should read the Bible through, 
from beginning to end, at least once or more times in his life), as 
many devout Christians do, and not really know the Bible. For, as 
praiseworthy as this custom is, still it does not mean Bible study, 
but simply Bible reading. 

You may mark your Bible, noting all the striking passages, study 
it topically or even biographically, and yet in reality not have a 
comprehensive knowledge of the Bible or profit by your use of the 
Scriptures as you might. 

Four Methods Essential to Genuine Bible Study. Since the 
Bible is a library, the only correct way to study it is by books. Four 
things are necessary for the mastery of each book. It must be 
studied, first, Historically; second, Analytically; third, Devotionally; 
fourth, for Service. Each of these methods is important. To omit 
any one, is to do so at the cost of failing to obtain a well-rounded 
conception of the book. The Christian should be an intelligent and 
thorough student of the Word. 
1. Historical Study. 

Before we can understand any Old Testament book, we must first 
discover its historical setting. We must find out, if possible, its 
author and when it was written. Moie important still is it, to get 
a correct conception of the times which the book describes. We 
6hould seek to know all that can be discovered concerning the 
customs of the people, their social, industrial and religious life, as 
well as the leading characters of which the book speaks. Only 
in this way can we properly understand what the book has to say to 
us. To do this, in some cases, will require considerable study and 
involve us in much difficulty, since there is a great difference of 
opinion as to the author and dates of certain books, and since the 
facts from which we draw our conclusions are often very meagre 
and open to various interpretations. 

Take, for instance, the Book of Daniel. Here some scholars tell 



Outline Studies on the Bible. 133 

us the book was written at the time when Daniel was in Babylon, 
others that it was not written until about 167 B. C. In such a case 
it is necessary, first, to know all the facts obtainable on both sides, 
and then from these facts draw our own conclusions. Our view of 
the book will differ, as we take either the one side or the other. 

A good Bible dictionary and Bible commentary and painstaking 
study is necessary for such an historical knowledge of the Bible, but 
every intelligent Christian will be anxious to so know each book, 
or at least know where to find this information when he wants it. 
Not that our salvation depends upon it, but our faith will be 
strengthened against the day when such new views might otherwise 
overtake us unawares, without our knowing what to do with them. 
Besides, an intelligent knowledge of the Bible presupposes such study- 

2. Analytical Study* 

After we know all we can about • a book historically, the next 
step is to study its contents. By this we mean that it is necessary 
to analyze or to separate the book into its various parts, to find the 
plan and purpose of the writer. For instance, an analytical study 
of the Book of Deuteronomy would imply that we make an outline 
of it somewhat as follows : 

Analysis of the Book of Deuteronomy 

I. The First Address— Ch. 1:6—4:40. 

Topic : Calling to Remembrance God's Care. Then follow 
this with subdivisions and facts, by chapter and verse. 

II. The Second Address.— Ch. 5 : 1—26 : 19. 

Topic: The Law Explained. Subdivisions as above. 
III. The Third Address.— Ch. 27—30. 

Topic: The Covenant Renewed. Subdivisions as above. 
The contents of the entire book should be worked out in detail, 
section by section, as indicated above. When the outline has been 
completed, study it and try to write it out from memory. A serious 
study of the Old Testament in this way, book for book, and book 
compared with book, will eventually assure mastery of the whole 
volume. 

* See Haig's "The Analytical Old Testament." Sells' "The Study of the 
Bible by Books." 



134 Outune Studies on the Bibi,e. 

3. Devotional Study. 

After a careful analysis of the book has been made, the next 
step is to forget, as far as possible, the mechanical work in con- 
nection with the historical research and the analysis, and seek to 
find out what the book teaches in a religious way. In the spirit 
of prayer and faith, with the aid of some good commentary, see 
what it has to say to your soul. 

To return to the analysis made of the Book of Deuteronomy, in 
what way, for instance, does the first address of Moses show God's 
loving care for me? What can I learn from the renewal of the 
Covenant of God with Israel for my own life? In what way does 
God speak to me through his laws today? 

In this way God's Word begins to become real to us. Historical 
study and the mechanical work of preparing an analysis, will go no 
further than to effect the intellect, if we stop there. The heart is 
reached and faith strengthened only when we enter upon the rever- 
ent, devotional study, often alone with God, seeking the light of His 
Holy Spirit and the personal contact and presence of the Master 
teacher. In fact, all study of the Word must be begun and ended 
in this spirit. 

4. Study for Service. 

Devotional study, as valuable as it is in itself, becomes selfishness 
and disobedience if it stops here. This error drove holy men into 
monasteries and brought on the Dark Ages of Christianity. The 
world, in those days and more than ever now, needs the leavening 
influence and loving service of Christian men and women. Not 
without great purpose does the Word of God say: "Be ye doers 
of the Word and not hearers only," James 1 : 22. 

By this fourfold study of the Bible we not only gain a thorough 
knowledge of God's Word, but our faith is preserved against the 
errors of a false conception of its contents. By applying its teach- 
ings we not only strengthen our own character, but also advance 
the Kingdom of God on earth. Therefore, we cannot, without great 
loss, omit any one of these four methods of study. 



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